


Starting a New Day

by starlightspeedway99



Category: Splatoon
Genre: #SquadGoals, Agent 3 - Freeform, Agent 4 - Freeform, Agent 8 - Freeform, Agent 9 - Freeform, All of my OC's, All of the agents are there but they're kinda low key, Dirty Talk, F/F, F/M, Friends as Family, Giant friend group, Glaucon/Dia, Inkling OC's, M/M, Mentions of Abusive Relationships, Mentions of Sex, Most of my oc's are college aged, Octoling Oc's, Self-Insert, Sharing a Bed, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Song Lyrics, This might be the longest thing I've ever written, friend drama, group chats
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-28
Updated: 2020-08-25
Packaged: 2020-10-29 15:00:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 43
Words: 59,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20798522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starlightspeedway99/pseuds/starlightspeedway99
Summary: Glaucon is bored one day and walks into a cafe to hit on some girls, and she falls in love with a quirky, baby-blue Inkling girl named Dia. Between countless miscommunications, group chats, and more friend drama than anyone can keep track of, Glaucon and Dia begin to try and work out their feelings for each other.Strap in for my sense of humor, character development, and most of all- that slow burn!





	1. The Diva and the Model

**Author's Note:**

> Hey fam~! Hope you guys have as much fun reading this first chapter as much as I loved writing it! Any and all feedback is appreciated!

May had finally blossomed onto Inkopolis. The surrounding coral reefs were still sakura blossom-pink and as always, Glaucon was restless. She was too antsy for a Ranked match, and a Turf War was too boring. The lavender Inkling sighed as she wandered into a nearby coffee shop to gather her thoughts and figure out what to do with herself. .

Despite having lived in Inkopolis for a solid eight years now, she realized that she’d actually never visited this particular shop. Like most shops around The Square, it was cramped, yet cozy – and filled to the brim with cute girls. Holding back a tiny squeal, Glaucon took a seat at the counter and picked up a menu. She studied it for a few seconds before looking around at the coffee shop crowd. 

“What can I get you, squiddo?” The elderly brewmaster gave the younger squid a warm smile as she leaned up against the counter. 

“Um, I’m not sure yet?” Glaucon laughed awkwardly. “What do you recommend?”

“ As for a coffee, I’d say the seafoam macchiato, like what this missy over here has, “

Glaucon glanced to her side only to see the most beautiful Inkling she’s ever met. Baby blue tentacles, dark grey eyes, caramel-brown skin! She didn’t even notice her until the brewmaster pointed her out. She sat quietly a few seats away with a notebook and pen and in front of her while she listened to music on her phone, keeping only one earbud in. 

“But as for which girl you should go for first, I think you have your answer already!” The brewmaster chuckled as she watched Glaucon become completely mesmerized with the blue Inkling. 

“How long has she been there? How did I not see her?” Glaucon whispered to the brewmaster.

“She’s been there the whole time! She’s one of my favorite regulars!”

“Really? Then what’s her name?”

“I’m not helping you out, kid! I’d rather watch you try and fail miserably.”

“What?! And what do you mean, ‘fail miserably’?”

“You’ll see!” With a satisfied chuckle, the brewmaster turned away from the flustered Glaucon and began to fix her drink.

The loud whispering attracted the blue Inkling’s attention, but she merely glanced over at Glaucon before returning to her notebook. She took a sip of her machiatto began tapping her pen in rhythm with her music, completely immersed in the song.

Glaucon noticed her little mannerisms and took a deep breath to calm down. She ran a hand through her tentacles only to remember that she had cut them recently. Trading her long style for a bob-cut, there was less of her tentacles to hide behind in situations like these. 

“Um, hi there, beautiful!” Glaucon’s heart was pounding as she casually scooted into the chair next to the blue Inkling. “H-has anyone told you that you have the most mesmerizing eyes in all of Inkopolis?”

The blue Inkling snickered as she took out her other earbud, and Glaucon so desperately wanted a re-do. What was she doing? That line was probably the worst she’s come up with! 

“Hi there.” The blue Inkling girl smiled as she shifted her attention to Glaucon. She rested her head on her small fist as she began to study her. “And no, nobody’s told me that before.”

“Well that’s a shame! I could honestly gaze into them all day, you know?” A wave of relief washed over the lavender squid. She might actually be into her still! “Do you-“

“Maybe so, but has anyone ever told you that some people come to places like this to, I dunno, drink coffee and not get hit on?” As Glaucon’s face dropped, a devilish grin spread across the blue Inkling’s face. 

The brewmaster and the customers stopped their conversations and started to watch the shutdown begin.

“The ‘Lil Diva’s at it again!”

“Poor fool didn’t even see it coming!”

“Another good one-liner, I’m gonna have to steal that!”

As if she wasn’t already flustered enough, Glaucon smiled and threw her hand behind her head. She wasn’t going to give up so easily, but the embarrassment sure wasn’t helping.

“Oh come on, don’t be like that! I’m a simple squid! I see a beautiful girl, and I flirt with her! But you’re the most-“

“So you’re one of those, huh?” The blue Inkling shook her head as she cut off Glaucon’s babbling. She shut her notebook, threw in into her purse, and gulped down the rest of her coffee. 

“I’m sorry sweetheart, but I’m just not into wasting my time with people like you!” She snickered, as if she was almost proud of her brutality. With a flip of her tentacles, she left some money on the table and disappeared.

The coffee shop roared with a mixture of laughter, cheers, and applause. Glaucon merely stared at the door, still trying to process the humiliation that just happened. The brewmaster placed Glaucon’s coffee in a to-go cup next to her before breaking out into full hysterics.

“Holy carp, I can’t! I just can’t!” She howled with laughter as she clapped Glaucon on the shoulder.

“What was that?! The girl’s a savage!” Glaucon whined as she took a sip of her coffee. As she expected, given the current situation, it was bitter. Shockingly bitter. 

“That’s our ‘Lil Diva! She’s gorgeous, sure, but she’s always getting hit on, and she hates it! So she’s been getting really good at turning people down, as you’ve surely seen by now. “ 

“But why does she gotta break my heart like that? She didn’t even give me a chance!” Glaucon planted her face into the counter as she whined even louder.

“She’s been especially ruthless nowadays. Me and the other regulars have been thinking that she gets off on it.” 

Glaucon picked her head up and swallowed another sip of coffee. “Well, you know what?”

“What’s up, kid?”

“I’m not giving up that easily! Imma take this coffee with me and try and find her!”

“It’s gonna be 500 for that- wait! You’re gonna try again?”

“Yeah! I’d be an idiot to give up on a girl that beautiful!”

“You have to be some kind of masochist to keep at this, holy carp. There’s no way someone would keep trying- oh my goodness. “ The brewmaster shook her head as she held back a laugh. “Well, if that’s true, then maybe you’d make a good couple.”

Glaucon counted out a few coins before handing them to the brewmaster. She took her coffee and stuck her free hand into her jacket pocket.

“I’m glad somebody thinks so!” She said with a grin before heading out after the blue Inkling. 

After a few minutes of looking around, Glaucon found her baby blue Inkling in an unlikely spot – the Turf War lobby. Thankfully, there were some spots left, so Glaucon dashed into Ammo Knights to grab her Luna Blaster before sliding into the lobby. She cleared her throat rather loudly, catching the attention of the blue Inkling who was looking at her phone.

Just as she was about to open her mouth to possibly tell her off again, the blue Inkling’s eyes focused on Glaucon’s weapon of choice before letting out a giggle.

“This is the Turf War lobby, you know!” She teased, which got a laugh out of Glaucon as well.

“I’m aware! This baby right here is my favorite, it use it for everything!” Glaucon beamed as she twirled her gun in her hands. “What weapon are you rockin’?”

“ My Inkbrush!” The other inkling put her phone away and grabbed her weapon that was leaned up against the wall. She hugged it close to her chest with a smile. 

“I hope we’re on the same team, cuz we’d be unstoppable together!” 

“And I hope we’re on opposite teams so I can splat you until you get the hint!” The blue Inkling’s smile turned into a pouty frown. 

Glaucon’s face flushed bright red. She only just realized the husky timber in her voice, as it only seemed to come out when she was angry. Good cod, she was falling hard for this girl.

“Well, that wouldn't be so bad either. We both have such short ranged weapons, we could really get up close and personable~!”

“You’re really something else!” The blue Inkling turned her back to Glaucon, concealing an amused smile. “Tell me your name, you big dummy!” 

“It’s Glaucon, baby. Don’t you go forgetting it!” The lavender Inkling said with a huge grin. Her confidence was back in full swing now!

“My name’s Dia. And of course I couldn’t forget you! I haven’t met someone as unabashedly dumb as you in ages.”

With this exchange, the lobby light up, signaling the start of the match. Walleye Warehouse was picked as the stage, sparking yet another grin from Glaucon.

“My lucky stage! This has to be a good sign!” Glaucon thought to herself.

Just as Dia predicted, the two Inkling girls were put on separate teams. As the Inklings got into position at their respective spawn points, Glaucon’s heart was racing. Her mind full of only one thought: “how am I going to impress her?”

The match started, and a chorus of “booyahs” echoed throughout Walleye Warehouse. Glaucon’s teammates all fanned out and rushed into the center, beginning the chaos. The lavender Inkling would have typically joined them, but instead chose to lurk around the sides. She hardly inked the ground as she moved, and listened intently as she rested in an ink puddle. Then, almost as if on cue, Glaucon heard the distinct whipping sound of an Inkbrush, and immediately jumped out from her puddle to take aim at Dia. However, before she could even pull the trigger, Dia had swum behind her and splatted her without a second thought. This was enough for the blue Inkling to break out in laughter. 

“I can’t believe this! She waited all this time for me to come by and she couldn’t even fire!” She chuckled to herself before swimming up the side of the stage, infiltrating up into her enemy team’s base. 

Just as Glaucon respawned, Dia stood on top of one of the warehouse’s boxes and waved her Inkbrush around like a flag. 

“I’m over here, sweetheart!” She yelled out to Glaucon. 

“I’m coming for you, baby!” Glaucon pointed at her with her Luna Blaster before swimming after her. 

The two Inkling girls messed around with each other for the rest of the match - splatting each other, squidbagging, and chasing each other around. Right before the final whistle, Dia took her Inkbrush and drew a heart around Glaucon before splatting her right as the match ended. 

Dia’s team won the match by a landslide, but neither girl cared. After the match was over, the two squids left the lobby and sat down together at a table in The Square.

“ You’re so mean to me! You really lead me on with that heart at the end!” Glaucon jokingly whined.

“Your reaction was priceless though!” Dia replied as she wiped away a tear from laughing so much. 

“ Does that mean you’re into to me, after all?”

Dia crossed her arms and gave Glaucon an annoyed look. “Hell no!” 

“What? Even after all that? Won’t you go on at least one date with me?”

“Maybe not a date, but if you wanna just, you know, hang out as friends, I’d be down for that!” Dia smiled again as she took out her phone. “ Gimme your number, I’ll be sure to text you after this.”

“Oh, seriously?! Hang on, lemme get mine!” Glaucon replied as she took out her phone.

The two Inklings chatted together before Dia grabbed her things as she got ready to leave. 

“Are you busy this weekend? We should hang out at the café again.” She gave Glaucon a soft smile as she spoke. 

“Um, kinda! I have a photoshoot Saturday morning, but I should be free after that! How does one o’ clock sound?” Glaucon answered.

“That works for me!” Dia put a hand on her chin. “ A photoshoot? Are you a model or something?”

“Yeah, actually! I actually just got sponsored by Tentatek, so they’re always calling me up!”

“That’s crazy!”

“Right? But anyways, don’t let me keep you any longer. I’ve gotta get going myself.” Glaucon replied as she got up and stretched. 

“Okay! And Glaucon?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m sorry for being such an asshole to you, I didn’t realize how funny and sweet of a person you actually are.” Dia spoke softly, her voice tinged with sincerity. 

“Don’t stress about it, girl!” Glaucon placed a gentle hand on her new friend’s shoulder. “I probably shouldn’t have come on so strong. But to be honest, we became friends, so it’s not all bad in the end!” 

Dia gave her a wordless look of gratitude before seeing her off. 


	2. ♪Coffee Friends Chat♪

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Glaucon and Dia's conversations~!

Glauc&Roll: I’m gonna be honest, I don’t even like coffee  
Dia_Is_Unbreakable: So coffee is just a vessel for you to hit on girls, right?  
Glauc&Roll: Sounds about right  
Dia_Is_Unbreakable: I actually can’t stand your ass, why do I even talk to you again?  
Glauc&Roll: cuz you love me  
Glauc&Roll: <3  
Dia_Is_Unbreakable: okay, we need to get you a girlfriend or something so you can stop flirting with me, for real  
Glauc&Roll: I mean, you can? But imma totally still hit on you afterwards  
Dia_Is_Unbreakable: UGH  
Dia_Is_Unbreakable:WHY  
Glauc&Roll: cuz you’re my friend and I love you  
Glauc&Roll: <3 <3 <3  
Dia_Is_Unbreakable: that’s a better answer XD  
Dia_Is_Unbreakable: if that’s what we’re going with, then I love you too <3  
Glauc&Roll: you’re such a precious baby doll, I caaaaant  
Dia_Is_Unbreakable: omg stop  
Dia_Is_Unbreakable: I’m done with your shit, good night asshole  
Glauc&Roll: gooooood night <3


	3. Coffee, Song Lyrics, and a Shoulder to Cry On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Do y'all ever just...connect with someone right away? It's a magical feeling~~!

Saturday rolled around much slower than the two girls wanted, but just as promised, the two met up at The Square and strolled into their favorite café, shoulder to shoulder. All of the usual regulars and the brewmaster’s jaws nearly dropped wide open as Dia and Glaucon took their seats at the counter. 

“Hey Granny!” Dia chirped as she put her purse down beside her. 

“H-hi there, Dia-dearie!” The brewmaster stammered back, flabbergasted. “Who’s this with you?”

“The same girl I told off a few days ago. She’s my-“

“-Adorable, sweet, girlfriend~!” Glaucon interjected loudly, only to be met with a quick jab to the side from her friend. 

“Close friend. Just a close friend,” Dia sighed and shook her head. “I’d like a sea salt cappuccino, and Glaucon’s having a sweet algae latte. “ 

“Of course, I’ll get those ready for the two of you!” The brewmaster smiled sweetly as she turned to her espresso machines. 

Glaucon smiled as she rested her chin in her hands and gazed over at Dia. The blue Inkling returned the smile as she took out her notebook and began to look it over. 

“What are you writing, if you don’t mind me asking?” Glaucon asked as she turned to face Dia. 

“Song lyrics.” Dia replied as she flipped through the pages and showed Glaucon a particular page, one more towards the front instead of the one she was currently looking over. 

Glaucon read over the page before coming to her realization. “Oh, this is  _ Ebb and Flow _ by Off the Hook, isn’t it?” 

“Yes! This is one of my all-time favorite songs, like ever!” Dia squealed as she clapped her hands a little. “I know Marina’s parts by heart now!” 

Glaucon grinned a little. She finally felt as though she was getting to see more of her new friend’s true nature. “Could you sing it for me? She asked with her grin as wide as ever. 

Dia clasped her hands together as her face reddened slightly. “N-not now, obviously!”

“Maybe another day if we hang out somewhere else?”

“Um, I dunno! I’m not actually that good of a singer, you know? I’ve never had any vocal training!” 

The brewmaster brought out the two Inklings’ drinks with an amused smile as Dia fidgeted nervously. She took a sip of her cappuccino while Glaucon kept pressing the issue.

“That doesn’t mean much! You adore music, so I bet you have a great singing voice!” Glaucon placed her hand on top of Dia’s. To her surprise, the blue Inkling didn’t push her away. 

“You’re just saying that!” Dia replied as her face turned even redder. 

“ And what if I am?” Glaucon teased.

“I…I wasn’t ready for that answer actually!” Dia giggled. She flipped her hand over and laced her fingers with Glaucon’s . “You’re so weird, but I kinda like that about you.”

“ _ I’m _ weird?” Glaucon replied, faking being offended. “I don’t wanna hear that from the girl who gets off from publicly humiliating squids who hit on her!”

“Hey, wait! I don’t…” Dia lowered her voice as her voice grew a little stern. “I don’t get off on that! I just think it’s funny!” 

“Yeah, sure.”

“Listen, I’m not one of those, okay?”

“Okay, I get ya.” Glaucon jeered as she sipped on her latte. 

“Dumbass masochist.” Dia grumbled under her breath, nearly causing Glaucon to spit out her coffee. 

“What did you just call me?” The lavender Inkling asked as she ripped her hand away from Dia’s. 

“A dumbass masochist. You heard me the first time, but you’re clearly enjoying it so much that you wanted me to say it again. “ Dia replied a little louder than she did earlier. 

“ I thought we were friends! “ Glaucon whined as she threw an arm around her friend’s shoulder. 

“Don’t worry, we are. “ Dia leaned into Glaucon’s arm and practically whispered into her her. Now it was Glaucon’s turn to flush bright red with embarrassment. 

“That’s for damn sure!” She whispered back. 

A much needed cool breeze blew through Blackbelly Skatepark as Dia and Glaucon found a quiet spot to stretch out. When the park was out of rotation, it was one of the lavender squid’s favorite places to kill some time. Dia pulled out her phone and opened up one her playlists on Inkify, which was aptly titled,  _ Cephalopop. _ First up on the shuffle was  _ Acid Hues _ , which played quietly as the two Inklings continued their conversations. 

Dia swung her legs over the side of the ramp as lied on her back next to Glaucon. “So, what made you decide to become a model?”

Glaucon stretched out next to Dia as she rolled onto her stomach. “That’s a good question, actually….” She stopped for a moment as she thought of what to say. “I’ve always been told that I’ve been kinda vain and full of myself, so I decided to put that to use and model! Plus I like fashion, and it’s a good break from ink battling, you know?”

Dia’s eyebrows furrowed as she glanced over at Glaucon. “Who told you that??” She asked angrily.

“My dad.”

“I don’t like him.” Dia huffed as she folded her arms behind her head.

“Neither do I!” Glaucon chuckled as she flipped onto her back. “Aw, are you sticking up for me?”

“Yeah, somebody has to!” 

“You’re so sweet, baby doll.” Glaucon replied sweetly as she gazed into Dia’s eyes. As Dia made eye contact, she quickly turned away. 

“You’re calling me that again?” Dia sighed as turned her back to Glaucon and tried to get comfy again. 

“Yup! Does it bother you? I can stop if you want.” 

“It bothers me a little, but I actually kinda like it. So, don’t stop, please. “ Dia replied softly as her cheeks burned red. 

“Whatever you want.”

“Thanks, sweetheart~!” Dia replied with a giggle, which caused Glaucon to erupt with a giggling fit as well. 

_ Acid Hues  _ finished, and was soon replaced by  _ Maritime Memory,  _ and Dia sat up to sit next to Glaucon again. As Dia rested her head on the lavender squid’s shoulder, Glaucon leaned her head on hers. A contented smile spread over both of their faces. 

“Can I tell you something serious?” Dia asked softly.

“Go ahead!” Glaucon replied. 

“I’m not used to this.” Dia sighed, preparing herself for the ensuing conversation.

“What do you mean?”

“Like, having a real friend. Or being loved like this!” Dia leaned away as she explained herself. “Back where I’m from, people only told each other ‘I love you’ if they needed something from them, or if they wanted to screw them over.”

Glaucon gasped a little as she processed all of this. “That sounds horrible! And messed up!” 

“Yeah, exactly! Like, love was just a way to manipulate other people. That’s why all of this just feels so… foreign to me. And I can’t believe what I’m going through right now- that somebody told me that she loves me, and that she’s not just trying to borrow money or something. “ A few tears rolled down the blue Inkling’s face as she continued on. “I guess I’m trying to say “thank you, really! I know we’ve only known each other for a few days, and I’ve gotten really attached really quickly but… but!” 

Glaucon pulled Dia in for a tight hug, cutting her off. She rubbed her head lovingly and played with her tentacles in her hands. “It’s okay, I get what you mean. You don’t have to get yourself all worked up when I know what you’re trying to say. “ 

With this show of love, Dia burst into tears. She sobbed profusely into Glaucon’s chest as the lavender squid merely held her close. Once she was done, Glaucon daintily dried her face with a lacy handkerchief. 

“I bet you’ve had it rough as a kid too, haven’t you?” Glaucon asked softly. Dia nodded her head. “It sucks, but we have that in common.” 

Dia scooted closer to Glaucon and held onto her hand tightly. “ Thanks for understanding. I… I have a really hard time trusting others. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever told anybody this much about myself in years.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah, I mostly try and keep to myself. But you’re just… really easy to talk to for some reason. Thanks for understanding me.”

“Of course, it’s no problem, really!” Glaucon threw a hand behind her head and grinned. “If you ever need a shoulder to cry on again, you let me know!”

“I cry a lot- I can’t ask you to be there for me every time.“ Dia replied with a somber tone. 

“I’ll be there whenever I can. And besides, if you’re crying a lot on your own, coming to your rescue gives me an excuse to see you more often!” 

Dia’s frown quickly turned to a smile as she shook her head. “Oh. My. Cod. I probably should’ve seen that coming. You’re so damn persistent!” 

The two Inklings both erupted into a laughing fit as Dia’s playlist hummed along in the background. 

After night fell, Glaucon walked Dia back to her apartment, despite being two districts away from hers. The pair strolled along together, arm-in-arm, underneath Inkopolis’ starry sky. 

“Hey, I’ve got an idea.” Dia nudged her friend excitedly. 

“What’s up, baby doll?” Glaucon chuckled. 

“Next time we hang out, do you maybe wanna sleep over my place?”

Glaucon stopped dead in her tracks. Her face turned bright red as she held back a wild grin. “Sleep over?” She asked cautiously.

Dia sighed. “Yes, a sleep-over, as in staying up watching movies and playing video games. That’s it! We’re not banging, so don’t get your hopes up! “ Dia grumbled, with her husky growl making its return. 

“O-okay! That sounds great!” Glaucon stammered with excitement. 

Dia walked ahead of Glaucon, deciding she needed some distance between them before she ended up slapping her. “And maybe if you’re well behaved, we…”

“We can??”

“We can cuddle or something!” Dia said quickly, as she was starting to become flustered herself. 

Glaucon caught up with her adorable friend took her by the hand. Dia smiled shyly as the pair continued their stroll. 

Upon making it to Dia’s apartment building, the pair shared a tight hug before seeing each other off. 

“Next Saturday, okay?” Dia shouted to Glaucon from the front door. 

“Sure thing!” The lavender squid replied. 

Back in her own apartment, Glaucon jumped into her bed and screamed into her pillow with excitement. 

“What a cutie pie, holy carp!” She squealed as she rolled around in her sheets. “I love her so much, I can’t even~~~!” 

Just as she was about to fall off of her bed, her phone began to ring.  _ Bomb Rush Blush  _ blasted from her phone as the name “Flint” lit up her screen. Glaucon tossed her pillow aside before answering. 

“What’s good, my squid?” Glaucon asked with a smile. 

“Where were you today?” A male Inkling’s voice grumbled back. 

“I told you and everyone else, I had plans after my photoshoot, so I had to cancel.”

“I know, Glauc, but that’s not the point! There’s always gonna be another League Battle, but Aiden was so hyped to see you today! He was all pouty and snippy was he heard that you weren’t coming.” 

“So you’re trying to tell me you had a shitty time today with Aiden, and this is somehow my fault?” Glaucon nearly growled. 

“That’s not what I said, but –“

“But that sounds like what you’re getting at, though!” 

Flint sighed angrily. “You’re right, okay! Never mind that then, are you coming next Saturday, then?”

“No, I’m not.”

“What? I thought you didn’t have more photoshoots for a while!” 

“That’s right, I don’t. But, I have other plans.” 

“Oh, I get it now.” Flint jeered. “It’s a girl, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, and? I made a good friend recently, and she invited me over. She doesn’t seem to have any other friends, so there’s no way in hell that I’m turning her down. “ Glaucon furrowed her eyebrows, despite the fact that Flint was miles away. 

“Alright, fine! You go and enjoy your one night stand. Meanwhile, Aiden’s over here waiting for the love of his life to finally give him some attention! You ought to really give him a try.”

“Good night, Flint. I’ll see you Monday.” 

“Good night, Glauc.”

The lavender squid groaned before slapping her phone down on her nightstand, only to pick it back up again a few seconds later. 


	4. ♪Coffee Friends Chat♪

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Glaucon likes to overreact... you'll see more of this later, lol!

Glauc&Roll: fuck guys man

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: You like guys?? Well, you have fun with that!

Glauc&Roll: LMAFOO not literally

Glauc&Roll: but yeah, I’m into guys and girls

Glauc&Roll: I think I like girls a little better though

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Yeah, I’ve noticed by now. 

Glauc&Roll: You’re mad cute, btw

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Oh shut up, already!

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: If you keep this up, your ass is sleeping in the kitchen next week. 

Glauc&Roll: Damn, homegirl don’t play

Glauc&Roll: #StraightSavage

Glauc&Roll: wait, dia

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Yeah?

Glauc&Roll: do you like guys? Or girls? Or both?

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Both! But I’ve never dated before, so I’m not sure which one I like better

Glauc&Roll: WAIT WHAT

Glauc&Roll: HOW EVEN

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: I mean, staying single is really easy if you have trust issues like I do. 

Glauc&Roll: you right

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: I know I’m right, idiot. 

Glauc&Roll: sorry girl, I didn’t mean to get all judgmental on you

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Don’t stress, no offence taken! 

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: It’s probably hard for you to imagine being single for so long. You’re always perpetually horny, so dating is kinda like, a necessity for you. 

Glauc&Roll: you know it!

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Lol, btw! What were you trying to say earlier?

Glauc&Roll: OH RIGHT

Glauc&Roll: One of my guy friends was being hella annoying

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Tell him to fuck off!

Glauc&Roll: hell yeah, girl!

Glauc&Roll: nah, I can’t

Glauc&Roll: I’ve known him and the others since I moved here, so I just gotta wait this shit out or something

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Well, I hope things settle down soon! 

Glauc&Roll: Thanks baby doll~~~

Glauc&Roll: But if it doesn’t, I’ve got you now, so its all good

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Damn right you do!

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: <3 

Glauc&Roll: !!!

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: What????

Glauc&Roll: you sent me a heart first!! 

Dia_Is_Unbreakable Yeah, and?

Glauc&Roll: usually I’m the one whos getting all mushy on you when we text, so it’s kinda nice to have things the other way around

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: oh my god

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: You’re so corny, I’m actually a little shook

Glauc&Roll: #SHOOKETH

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Omg, stop

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: But for real, if you ever wanna complain to me, I’ll be there for ya!

Glauc&Roll: Same to you, baby doll! We’re in this together!

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Thanks, sweetheart! 

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: I’m going to bed soon, so good night!

Glauc&Roll: good night, love you~~~<3

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Love you more <3!!


	5. The Lads, the Ladies, and the League Battle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get to meet Glaucon's squad Inkstrike, but more importantly- Frederick's introduction!

Monday morning washed over Dia like a hurricane. For the first time in a while, she woke up with a longing for somebody near her. She wanted a hug. A big, snuggly one. But, she had a feeling that Glaucon’s weekdays were probably busy, as were her own. 

After fixing her tentacles and washing up, she fixed herself a quick breakfast before finally buckling down and calling up her bestie.

“Hey, are you busy today?” Dia asked shyly.

“Yeah, but I’ll gladly make some time for you! I’ve got a ton of Ranked matches lined up with my squad for most of the day, but if you wanna come down and watch, I’d be hella happy!” Glaucon was practically yelling over the sound of squidcore blasting over the Lobby’s speakers. 

“Of course, that's all the more reason for me to come! I’ll stop by around lunchtime!” With a giggle, she threw on her favorite skirt and pink hoodie before heading down to the train station. 

On the blue Inkling’s agenda, before anything else, was to meet with her favorite Octarian boy in all of Inkopolis. Although he lived in the around the slums of the city, that didn’t stop Dia from skipping through the grungy streets to her old friend’s place.

“Yo, Fredrick! Open up, it’s Dia!” Dia banged on the door with vigor.

A dark purple Octarian boy opened the door while rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. “Oh shit, what up Dia?” 

“The lyrics are done!” Dia practically cheered as she waltzed inside.

“No way!!!” Frederick’s eyes shot open as he put his hands on his cheeks. “You finished them that quick?!” 

“Hell yeah, my dude! Here, take a look!” Dia handed him her signature notebook as she watched for his reaction.

The Octarian boy studied the page intently before placing his hand over his mouth. He looked at Dia, then at the notebook, then back to Dia again.

“My girl!” He nearly yelled. 

“Yeah, Fredrick?” Dia replied, her eyes lighting up with joy.

“This shit. You see this shit right here?” Fredrick held up the notebook like a trophy above his head. “ This is gonna make us legends! We’re gonna be performing for the whole city one day, just like Off the Hook is now! We’re gonna meet Pearl and Marina, and maybe even the Squid Sisters!”

“You think so?!” Dia squealed.

“I know so! With your lyrics and vocals, and my beats- we’re gonna rule this joint! DJ Cobalt and Dia, coming at you, Inkopolis! 

Dia jumped up and down, unable to hide her joy any longer. “Do you wanna practice a little bit?”

“Bruh, please! “ Frederick shouted with glee. “Let’s just do the chorus for now. Imma drop the beat, you bring the sweet noise.” 

With thumbs up, Frederick started the track on his turntables, and right on cue, Dia took a deep breath and belted out the chorus. 

“Come on baby, won't you rock me tonight? 

When I've got you here, you know I'm feelin’ alright

Just hold my hand and take me slowly, 

You're all that I want- I've got you locked in my sights!”

Right before the first verse started, Fredrick cut the track and started shouting, and it wasn’t long before Dia joined in. Frederick tossed a bottle of iced tea before her voice gave out on her. 

“Damn girl! That was only the chorus! “ Frederick beamed. 

“But that’s the most important part though!” Dia took a swig of her tea before continuing. “  _ Deadlock Rock  _ means so much to me, and I’m so glad that you’ve been so awesome to help this thing come alive!” 

“You know how much this means to me, too! This is our dream, Dia! We started with literally nothing, but look at us now! We’ve got our debut song in the chamber; all we gotta do is perfect it!”

“Hell yeah! Oh, and Frederick? I’ve got good news… kinda.” Dia said shyly. 

“Go on, shoot.”

“I’ve made a friend.”

“You’re squiddin’ me, aren’t ya?” Frederick teased.

“Nah, I’m for real! Look, look, look!” Dia whipped out her phone and showed Fredrick a selfie she took of herself and Glaucon, both grinning ear to ear. 

“You paid her to take this pic, didn’t you?”

“I did not!” Dia fumed.

Fredrick laughed harder than before as went back to his turntables. “I’m legit so proud of you; you’re like a normal girl now!” 

“Thaaaanks.” Dia sighed. “I would stay longer to practice, but I’m actually on my way to go see my new friend. We can run through the whole thing another day. Oh, and my friend’s name is Glaucon, by the way.” She huffed with a little bit of pride. She tore out the lyrics page for  _ Deadlock Rock _ and handed them to Frederick.

“Are you sure? These are your lines, not mine!” Frederick protested.

“I have another copy written down at home! “ Dia giggled. “ And besides, you need to hype me up when we’re performing, okay? I’m counting on you!” 

With a quick wave goodbye, Dia practically danced out of Frederick’s place back to the train station as she made her way to The Square.

“Hey, squiddo. “ 

“Yeah, boss?”

“You seem… distracted today. Is something wrong?”

Glaucon blinked back her mentor with surprise. When was the last time he was this attentive to her? 

“I’m alright, Aiden. I’m just thinking about my new friend, that’s all.”

“Is she good to you?” The mint Inkling boy grumbled quietly.

“Of course she is, she’s actually coming by later to cheer us on.” Glaucon beamed. 

With this tidbit of info, the other two Inklings looked up from their phones with surprise. Flint shoved his phone in his pocket as he glared intently over at Glaucon.

“When you say ‘friend’, you mean that girl that you’ve been hooking up with?” Flint crossed his arms as he refused to break eye contact with the lavender squid.

“Hey, now! We haven’t hooked up, we’re literally just friends!” Glaucon replied, desperately trying to get the upper hand in the conversation. 

“Is she pretty?” The hot pink Inkling boy piped up, his voice tinged with concern. 

“That’s what you want to know right now, Josh?” Aiden snickered. 

“Of course she is~! She’s easily the most adorable girl I’ve met in this city!” Glaucon gushed, only to be met with a suspicious look from Flint.

“You sure you’re not sleeping with her? I’m not so sure now!” Flint jeered as Glaucon’s face turned redder and redder. 

“I am not! And what does it matter to you? You’re not my dad, no matter how much we joke about it- oh hey!” The lavender squid’s mood lifted instantly as she caught a glimpse of baby blue tentacles bouncing around from the corner of her eye. 

“Hey baby doll, I’m over here!” Glaucon shouted as she ran over with open arms to meet her bestie. 

Dia leaped into her embrace with a fit of giggles. Still giddy from her progress from earlier in the day, the baby blue Inkling kissed Glaucon right on the cheek. 

“Hey, sweetheart~” Dia whispered to Glaucon, looking a little weary of the boys looking on from afar. 

“ Don’t worry about them, Dia. Anyways, you’re getting pretty flirty today- did something good happen?” Glaucon asked, still holding her friend tightly in her arms. 

“Oh, I um… I’ll tell you later.” 

Aiden and the other boys watched the two giddy girls and started to gossip about the pair.

“Well fuck me; she’s just as cute as she said she was.” Flint sighed.

“Excuse me?!” Joshua spat back. 

“Easy now, kid. He’s just stating the obvious.” Aiden put a hand on the younger squid’s shoulder. “Do you think they’ll last?”

“Apparently they’re just friends, so you’ve still got a chance, Boss!” Flint whispered. 

“Are you sure they’re not dating?” Aiden whimpered.

“Why don’t you just ask, here they come! “ Joshua pointed out, causing the boys to pretend to act natural.

As girls came back to the table, Dia latched onto Glaucon’s jacket and stood slightly behind her. Glaucon gave her a soft smile before they both took a seat. 

“What were you guys talking about?” Glaucon asked and she scooted closer to Dia. 

“Nothing much, honestly. “ Aiden shook his head. “So, is this your girl?” 

“Yup, her name’s Dia! Y’all better treat her well!” Glaucon grinned before looking over at her friend, cueing her in to speak next.

“Um, yeah!” She squeaked softly. “I’m Dia, it’s nice to meet you all!” She clasped her hands together nervously underneath the table.

Aiden’s gaze softened as he studied the blue Inkling girl. “ I’m Aiden. I’m kinda the leader of these guys. Our squad is called Inkstrike.” He explained as he crossed his legs and folded his hands neatly. “The orange dude is Flint, and the pink one here is his boyfriend, Josh. The four of us have been friends for a while, haven’t we?”

The squad all exchanged a few looks of comradery before sharing a few laughs. “Yeah, we have! Maybe even a little too long?” Flint jeered as he jabbed Aiden in the side. 

The conversation carried on for a while before Inkstrike assembled in the lobby, their smiles replaced by stoic expressions- except for Glaucon. She stood beside the door to the elevator as Dia stood inside of it. The elevator led to the Spectator’s Gallery, a last minute addition to the Lobby where both new and veteran Ink Athletes gathered to learn from their peers. Dia had only been a few times in the past herself. 

“Are you sure you should be talking to me right now? What about your team?” Dia sighed.

“The other team is still down a few members, we’ve got time!”Glaucon reached over to grab her friend’s hand, who gladly accepted. 

Dia glanced over at the boys again before speaking again. “Hey, was it one of those three that were bothering you yesterday? Was it Aiden?” She whispered.

“Yeah, but it was Flint! He tries to be my dad all the time, and it gets annoying.” Glaucon explained. “Aiden’s chill. He’s actually the one who helped me build up the confidence to start doing Ranked matches again.”

“Seriously?” Dia’s eyes lit up as she gazed intently at Glaucon as she spoke.

“Yeah! When I first was starting out, I was so bad at Ranked that I was a bottom of the barrel, C-. I literally couldn’t de-rank anymore! But then I met Aiden by chance during a Turf War. He was using a Rapid Blaster in Turf War- could you imagine?”

“Sounds a little familiar to me!” Dia giggled. 

Glaucon snickered as she continued on. “ Yeah, that’s for sure! But he was so scarily good with that thing that I started talking to him afterwards. He bought me my Luna Blaster and coached me on how to use it. Eventually, I started to try Ranked again, and look where I am now! That’s why I’m still hanging around him and the others. “ She paused as she looked over at the Lobby. Only one more member was needed for the other team now. “ But yeah, that’s our story. Now do you get why I’m still sticking it out with these guys?”

Dia nodded her head excitedly. “He sounds like a sweet guy from what you’ve told me! But his face is kinda scary…” 

Glaucon laughed and gripped Dia’s hand a little tighter. “ You can’t judge based on looks alone, baby doll. Anyways, it’s time for me to get in there. Can I get a hug for good luck?”

Dia practically jumped into the lavender squid’s arms before seeing her off. The blue Inkling rode the elevator up to the top floor, only to be met with an awe-inspiring sight. 

The Spectator’s Lounge resembled that of an open air theatre. Where the stage would be sat a massive monitor mounted on the wall, used for displaying the match’s footage. On either side, smaller monitors displayed the quick stats of each Ink Athlete. 

The baby blue Inkling found a quiet seat near the front, and began to take in the surroundings. She regretted not buying popcorn or something, so she made do with a pack of dried nori that she fished out of her purse. Before she could even start snacking, her jaw dropped as she noticed Inkstrike’s stats on the display monitor. 

“Aiden’s rank S+?? And the other two are both S rank??” Dia mumbled to herself in disbelief. “ And Glaucon, she’s… Rank A? They must really love her to let her join in! Well…Aiden must love her. “ 

Dia stuck a piece of nori in her mouth before she let that last thought sink in. Was she feeling jealous? She felt disappointed in herself as she continued with this train of thought. 

“I’ve only known her for a few days, why I am I so attached?” 

“Squiddo.”

At the sound of her mentor’s voice, Glaucon snapped out of her daydream. The eight inklings stood anxiously in the lobby as they waited to ride out to the map. 

“Yeah, boss?” She replied.

“If we win this match, can I buy you dinner later?” Aiden stuck his hands in his pants pockets and looked away shyly.

Joshua and Flint grabbed each other’s hands and looked over at Glaucon expectantly.

“Of course you can, but remember, we gotta win this first! Aren’t you being a little too cocky?” The lavender squid laughed nervously.

“What do you feel like having?”

“Aiden-“

“I know for a fact that we’ve got this under control.”

Glaucon sighed as she twirled her Luna Blaster in her hands. “Pasta! I could honestly eat three plates right now!” 

Aiden snickered quietly to himself before rallying his squad to the spawn point.

Despite having a fair amount of experience with Ranked mode, Dia had only played in the B ranks at most, which couldn’t even compare with what she was seeing now. The stage was Ancho-V Games, and the mode was Splat Zones. Dia strapped herself in expecting a very long, intense game between two evenly matched teams, but this was far from reality.

Inkstrike, as always, rushed the center to claim the zone first. From there on, it was a blood bath. Joshua with his Aerospray MG and Flint with his Forge Splattershot Pro held down the zone while Glaucon and Aiden infiltrated the enemy base. Glaucon landed one precise direct hit the poor soul in front of her, sending him back to spawn once again. Aiden backed her up from further behind, splatting an enemy mid-jump with his Rapid Blaster before they could even think about attacking Glaucon.

38, 37, 36- the Inkstrike’s objective timer ticked down. The enemy team could hardly leave their spawn; much less make it to the zone. Flint and Joshua lobbed suction bombs towards the enemy base relentlessly. There was hardly much left to do at the in the match besides wait for the timer to tick down to zero. 

The whistle blew, signaling the match’s end. It wasn’t just a knock out; it was a TKO for Inkstrike. The match hardly lasted a minute and a half. 

Dia made a beeline for the elevator to go and greet the winners. Upon seeing the squad, she ran over to Glaucon’s side with a cheer. 

“That was insane! My heart was pounding the whole time! “She squealed. “How many splats did you get?”

“Only eight. Aiden literally got like, twelve. “ Glaucon glanced over at her mentor, only to get a satisfied grin in response. 

“That’s our boss!” Flint and Joshua cheered as they both gave Aiden a high five. 

Glaucon threw her arms around Dia’s shoulders and pulled her in for a hug. 

“Lemme guess, you’ve still got more matches line up later?” Dia asked as she snuggled closer to her bestie. 

“Yeah, I’ll be here pretty late.” Glaucon yawned.

“Got anything planned afterwards?” 

“Well, I was gonna hang out with you, but Aiden invited me out for dinner, so I’m probably take him up on the offer.” 

“Ooh, is it a date?” Dia’s eyes lit up as she waited for Glaucon’s reaction.

The lavender Inkling smirked back in response. “We’ll see…” She whispered. Glaucon looked over her shoulder to get her teammate’s attention.

“Hey, Josh?”

“Yeah, Glauc?” The pink Inkling squeaked.

“How much time do we have before the next match?”

“About fifteen minutes. Why?”

“I’ll be back, I’m gonna spend some time with my girl before the real chaos starts!”

“Somebody’s gonna get all depressed if you do, though!”

“Yeah, yeah- just be sure to tell him that I coming back.” Glaucon sighed as she ran her hand through her tentacles. She took Dia’s hand and slipped out of the Lobby, hoping to sneak past the other boys unnoticed.

“What was that all about?” Dia asked in between bites of her ebiyaki. The two Inkling girls leaned against the side of Crusty Sean’s truck while the afternoon sun blazed down on them.

“Oh, just friend drama. “ Glaucon shook her head and sighed deeply. “It’s like…complicated. “

“I’m listening!” The blue Inkling reassured. 

Glaucon finished the last bite of her ebiyaki and shoved her hands in her pockets. “Well, Flint and Joshua have been telling me for a long time that Aiden’s got a huge crush on me. But like, he’s my mentor, and that’s how I see him.” Flustered, the lavender squid began gesturing with her hands to try and get her message across. “But recently, they’ve both been, Flint especially, been trying to get us together. Do I like Aiden? A little bit, yeah! But I don’t wanna date him just because I was asked to- that’s weird!”

Dia gave her friend a puzzled look. “ That’s awkward. I mean, this is between you and Aiden, and nobody else really!”

“Yeah, exactly! “ Glaucon clenched a fist, still hidden in her pocket. “There’s too much input, and it’s honestly really confusing!”

“Let’s see how tonight goes, then? Tell me all about it afterwards, okay?” Dia grabbed Glaucon’s hands and looked her straight in the eyes, doing her absolute best to try and be reassuring. 

“Of course I will!” Glaucon glanced at her phone to check the time. “Aw shit, it’s time for me to bail. Gimme a kiss for good luck!”

As she leaned in, Dia faked her out and instead stepped on her foot, leaving a notable scuff mark on Glaucon’s Moto Boots. 

“No thanks, not today! “ Dia replied with a devilish grin. 

“Damn girl, why you gotta play me like that?”Glaucon complained. 

“Maybe if you learned to control your damn self, I wouldn’t have to!”

“Oh sure, be that way after you were all up under me when I first saw you earlier!” Glaucon blew her a kiss and ran back to the Lobby room to meet up with the others. 

Dia’s face flushed instantly, and she erupted into a quiet giggling fit. 

Back at her own apartment, Dia flopped down on her bed. Still trying to process everything from today, she stared at her ceiling to try and calm down before checking her phone. Frederick had called a few minutes ago while she was in the shower. Now’s a good a time as ever to call him back.

“Hey, it’s Dia! Sorry I missed your call!” She answered the phone softly.

“It’s all good. “ Fredrick replied, his voice sounding much more alert and awake than it did earlier in the day. “I just wanted to ask you something real quick!”

“Go ahead!” 

“Would you still wanna put together a live band? You know, for future songs?

Dia stifled a tiny gasp. “Yeah, of course! We can’t have pop-rock fusion without the rock!”

“Okay, good! I feel like after we debut, it would be easier to start recruiting or something, so this is just what I’ve been thinking.”

“Good stuff, Fredrick! Oh, and can I ask you something? Something not music-related?”

“Oof, I’m not sure if I’m the right person to ask, but go ahead. “ The Octoling snickered. 

“Is it weird to be really attached to a friend you’ve only known for a few days?”

“Explain.” 

“So this friend I was telling you about-“

“Glaucon?”

“Yeah, you remembered!” Dia squealed with excitement. “ Yeah, her! She was telling me about this guy that she likes, and how she’s going on a date him later, and how they’ve known each other for years and stuff… and for some reason I started feeling a little jealous?”

Fredrick scratched his head and put a hand on his chin. “Jealous of who?”

“Jealous of the guy she’s talking about!”

The octoling cleared his throat and laughed a little bit. “That’s a little weird, yeah And that totally wasn’t what I was expecting you to say.”

“That’s what I’m thinking too! “ Dia grumbled. “But I’ve decided that I’m gonna be super supportive and stuff!”

“I hope that works out for you!”

“Are you being sarcastic?”

“Only a little bit.”

“Why?”

“Because!” Fredrick rolled his desk chair over to his turntables, producing an audible squeak that picked up over the phone. “It kinda sounds like you’re into this girl or something!”

“No, absolutely not! It’s just that she’s very easy to talk to, and I got really attached to her way too quickly. I hope she doesn’t think I’m too needy!” Dia nervously tapped her fingers on her thigh as she gave her reply. 

“Oh my cod, girl! I don’t think so! You’re not the obsessive type, you just treat your friendships seriously- and there’s nothing wrong with that!”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure! But seriously, that’s a good idea. If you’re being supportive and shit, she’ll trust you a lot more. And if you plan to stay as her friend, it might even make you guys get a little closer, too. “

“Yeah, that sounds like a good idea- thanks for listening!” 

“No problem. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be up for the rest of the night finishing this track I started earlier!”

“Keep at it, DJ Cobalt!”

Dia hung up her phone and crawled underneath her covers. Just as she was about to fall asleep, her phone blew up with a flurry of notifications. 


	6. ♪Coffee Friends Chat♪

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Glaucon's got the tea about her date, and Dia gets way too hyped about baking a cake!

Glauc&Roll: DIA

Glauc&Roll: TONIGHT WENT SO WELL

Glauc&Roll: LIKE

Glauc&Roll: WE WENT OUT TO GET PASTA FOR DINNER

Glauc&Roll: AND HE TOOK ME TO THIS FANCY PLACE IVE ALWAYS WANTED TO GO

Glauc&Roll: HE PAID FOR EVERYTHING

Glauc&Roll: EVEN THE DRINKS

Glauc&Roll: AND THEN HE WALKED ME HOME AND KISSED MY HANDS

Glauc&Roll: #GENTLEMAN

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: !!!

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: That’s freaking adorable!!!

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Did anything else happen?

Glauc&Roll: We talked about like, work and stuff for a while, but towards the end we started talking about the future and shit

Glauc&Roll: And like, he was saying that he’d love to settle down sometime soon and find somebody to spend the rest of his life with

Glauc&Roll: GIRL YOU SHOULDA SEEN THE LOOK HE GAVE ME WHEN HE SAID THAT

Dia_Is_Unbreakable:!!!!

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: GIRL YAS

Glauc&Roll: RIGHT

Glauc&Roll: The only thing though

Glauc&Roll: If we do become a thing, then he’s gonna like, force feed me sweets

Glauc&Roll: I’m not too into sweets ;^;

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: EXCUSE ME?

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: You don’t like sweets????

Glauc&Roll: I don’t hate them!! I just won’t eat a lot

Glauc&Roll: They’re okay!!

Glauc&Roll: Omfg, Dia come back

Glauc&Roll: I didn’t mean to run you awayyyy

Glauc&Roll: baby dolllllllllllllll

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: I’m still here, I was just busy looking up a cake recipe to make for Saturday

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: How does vanilla cake with algae frosting sound? :3

Glauc&Roll: legit that sounds pretty okay

Glauc&Roll: like, I was expecting something crazy like rainbow narwhal funfetti 

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: LOL perfect! You’re gonna be converted into a sweets lover in no time!

Glauc&Roll: I’m halfway there already

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Why? Is it cuz of Aiden?

Glauc&Roll: a little bit

Glauc&Roll: but mostly cuz I’ve been hanging with you a lot

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: UGH 

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS

Glauc&Roll: ;)

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: fuck off, I’m going to bed

Glauc&Roll: no wait!!

Glauc&Roll: what were you going to tell me about earlier?

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: ???

Glauc&Roll: When I saw you in the square, you were excited about something good that happened, and you said you would tell me later

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Oh!!!

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: I’ll tell you about it Saturday, it’s easier to just show you rather than explain over text

Glauc&Roll: cool, cool!

Glauc&Roll: you’re such a tease, though

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: I know :3

Glauc&Roll: and btw

Glauc&Roll: I know I’m keeping you up, but I wanted to say thanks for earlier

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Thanks for what? Scuffing up your fancy Rockenburg boots?

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: I’m really sorry about that, btw.

Glauc&Roll: it came out with soap and water, no worries girl

Glauc&Roll: But seriously! Thanks for that advice you gave me earlier! It really helped me start thinking clearly about this whole me and Aiden thing

Glauc&Roll: and its so nice to have someone to talk to about this who isn’t judging me for everything I do and say, holy carp

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Omg, it’s no problem, really! That’s what friends are for!!

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: You would do the same for me, sweetheart <3

Glauc&Roll: Damn right I would!!

Glauc&Roll: <3

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Anyways , I’m not losing any more sleep because of you!

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Good night, and I love you~~~

Glauc&Roll: good night baby doll, love you too!


	7. Everyday's Great at Your MakoMart!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aiden and Dia run into each other at MakoMart, and they realize that they're actually kinda similar. 
> 
> (Brownie points for whoever gets the reference in the title~!)

Friday morning came around faster than she expected much to Dia’s delight. The baby blue Inkling sprung out of bed and practically skipped around her apartment as she got ready for the day. 

“Okay! Step one: breakfast!” Dia exclaimed as she read off her to-do list stuck to her fridge. “Step two do some turfing for most of the day. Step three: grab the ingredients for the cake from Mako Mart. And step four: cake prep!” 

Once she was all organized and ready to go, Dia stepped into her Mawcasins, grabbed her Kensa Splattershot Jr., tossed the gun into its case, and headed down to the train station. 

“You’re only level thirty? How are you so good at this?”

“You were literally at the top of the team every game!”

“How did you only get splatted once in that last match?”

As always, Dia faced a barrage of questions and attention after her latest Turf War win streak. There were too many of them to try and run away, she would have to say something to try and get them to calm down.

“I-I just really love turfing, you know?” Dia stuttered as she backed away from her starstruck teammates.

“You should join my squad!” A female Inkling yelled from the back of the crowd. 

Dia merely shook her head and began speedwalking away. She weaved her way through the train station crowd a few times to try and shake off any followers before she caught the next train to the Mako Mart.

Safe and sound under the blaring lights of the supermarket, Dia gave a sigh of relief as she picked up a basket to carry her things. Around this time of day, it was mostly middle-aged mothers and children who were shopping today. Most Inklings Dia’s age were typically out partying or eating out at a restaurant or pub. The baby blue Inkling pulled a scrap of paper out of her coat pocket and studied it closely. 

“Do I really need algae powder? I could honestly just buy it fresh, and then roast and crush it myself….” She pondered aloud. Upon stopping in front of the ingredient in question, her eyes lit up as she saw the prices. “Yes! It’s cheaper to buy it fresh! Awesome~!”

Dia strolled over to the next aisle over with a grin on her face. “Now, I gotta pick up some sugar and vanilla and- oh?” She cut herself off as she recognized an Inkling boy who was standing a few feet away, looking at the spice section. 

“Is that really him??” Dia took a few steps towards the boy and tapped on his shoulder to get his attention . “Your name is Aiden, right?”

The mint green Inkling snapped out of his focus as he turned his attention to the girl next to him. “Um, yeah?” He replied softly. “You’re Glauc’s friend, Dia, if I remember right?”

“Yeah, you remembered!” Dia answered back. She was about to ask, “what brings you here?”, only to realize how dumb of a question that was. Clearly, he was here for groceries like everybody else!

“They’re having a huge sale on shrimp.”

“Huh, what?” Dia blinked in confusion. 

“This place always has good sales on Fridays, cuz that’s when you least expect it.” Aiden continued on. “You’re such a practical person to come today. Unlike some other girl I know…”

Dia snickered. “Glaucon, right?”

“The one and only!” Aiden smiled warmly as he began examining the bottles of furikake. “The girl doesn’t cook, and I honestly doubt that she’s ever been grocery shopping before.”

“Seriously? How does she even function?”

“She eats out all of the time!”

“How? That’s so expensive if you do it all the time!”

“I’ve been telling her this for literally years now!”

Dia grinned as she picked up a fancy bottle of vanilla extract- Kraken brand. “Do you think she’ll ever learn?”

“No time soon. But, maybe you’ll be a good influence and rub off on her- we’ll see. “ Aiden chuckled.

“Rub off on her?” Dia repeated softly to herself as she felt her face start to burn up. The message was clear, but the word choice wasn’t exactly…ideal. 

“I’m going to pick up some of that shrimp before it’s gone.” Aiden stretched his arms before he started to walk away. “I’ll see you around.”

“It was good talking to you!” Dia replied. Aiden waved back before disappearing into the crowd. 

The blue Inkling couldn’t help but feel giddy all of a sudden. “He’s actually pretty okay! I could see those two being a cute couple!” She thought to herself as she headed for the check-out line. “I can’t wait to see what happens between them!”


	8. Inkstorm Official Group Chat (Squad Members Only!)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aiden and the lads poke fun at Glaucon, but more importantly- each other's dumb screen names!

Ayydin: Guess who I saw at mako mart

DaddyFlint: Crusty Sean???

Woshua69: that’s morbid

Ayydin: lol, they actually had a massive sale on shrimp

DaddyFlint: Coincidence?

Ayydin: I think not, lmafoooooo

Woshua69: stop omgggggg

Woshua69: who did you actually see though?

Ayydin: dia

Woshua69: who???

DaddyFlint: glaucon’s friend! 

DaddyFlint: she has blue tentacles and she came to watch us battle the other day

Woshua69: ???

DaddyFlint: you got pissed with me cuz I said she was cute? 

Woshua69: OH HER

Ayydin: LOL now you remember

Woshua69: I didn’t really talk to her that time

Woshua69: Did you go and say hi, aiden?

Ayydin: the other way around

Ayydin: she noticed me first b/c I was daydreaming about furikake

DaddyFlint: LMAO WHAT

Ayydin: shut up, I love that shit

Ayydin: it’s a lifesaver if you don’t feel like eating plain rice

DaddyFlint: I get that, but you were daydreaming about it????

Ayydin: I was thinking about what flavor I wanted

Ayydin: the nori + sesame seed combo is the best, btw

Woshua69: I like that one too!

Ayydin: btw, where is glaucon???

Woshua69: Right? She would normally jump in the chat by now

DaddyFlint: at her or something

Ayydin:  @Glauc&Roll come join us

Glauc&Roll: oh shit hi guys

Woshua69: there’s our girl! 

DaddyFlint: what’s good, kid?

Ayydin: ( ´  ▽ ` )ﾉ 

Glauc&Roll: I’m doing alright

Glauc&Roll: but wait! You saw dia??

Ayydin: ya

Ayydin: she remembered my name and everything

Glauc&Roll: omg, really? I love that girl, holy shit

Ayydin: she’s cool

Ayydin: we actually had a fun convo while we were shopping and stuff

DaddyFlint: oh??

Woshua69: You? Socializing??

Ayydin: um, yeah actually

Ayydin: we ended up talking about Glaucon, lol

Glauc&Roll: about how cool I am, right?

Ayydin: nah, I started throwing shade 

Glauc&Roll: !!!!

Ayydin: I was telling her about how you can’t cook and that you only eat out

Ayydin: girl started cracking up, shit was hilarious

Glauc&Roll: why you gotta play me like this????

Ayydin: maybe she’ll rub off on you or something if you hang around her long enough

DaddyFlint: rub off??

Woshua69: ;) ;) ;)

Ayydin: oh my god you guys

Glauc&Roll: did you actually say that to her, boss?

Ayydin: yeah XD

Glauc&Roll: damn

Glauc&Roll: if I said something that to her, she’d actually beat my ass

DaddyFlint: oh???

Ayydin: omgggggggg

Woshua69: babe stop

DaddyFlint: I don’t wanna hear that coming from someone who has 69 at the end of his username

Glauc&Roll: LOL TRUE

Ayydin: that’s a good point

Ayydin: just to let you know, we all hate your username josh

Woshua69: #StopTheBullying

Woshua69: like Flint’s is any better???

Glauc&Roll: TRUE

Glauc&Roll: I think his is worse

DaddyFlint: !!!

DaddyFlint: y’all are mean, I’m going to bed!

Woshua69: omg, wait for me

Woshua69: yeah, so am I 

Woshua69: good night, fam – we’ll see you guys tomorrow

Ayydin: good night, you two

Ayydin: wait, you can’t make it tomorrow, right Glauc?

Glauc&Roll: yeah, I’m hanging with Dia tomorrow

Glauc&Roll: but imma go with you guys next week though

Ayydin: that’s cool

Ayydin: I’m glad you actually made a friend though

Glauc&Roll: oh thanks!!!

Ayydin: it’s nice to see you have a girl around that you’re not constantly hitting on, haha

Glauc&Roll: lmaooooooo

Glauc&Roll: anyways, good night boss!

Ayydin: good night, girl


	9. Domestic Bliss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's sleepover time~~~!!!  
I LOVED writing this chapter! Tbh, I re-read this one a lot just because of how fun and fluffy it came out! Also, things really start to get...interesting after this chapter;)

“So what if I wanna hit on girls, huh? It’s none of your damn business!” Glaucon nearly screamed. She chucked her pillow across the room, which knocked her clock right off of its place on her shelf. “Calm down, I don’t have to worry about them right now! I’m gonna go drop off my Luna Blaster for maintenance, go see Dia, and ignore this all of this for a few days. “ Glaucon paced around her bedroom to try and soothe herself. 

She let out a huge sigh as she started getting ready for the day. “Oh my god, this is so annoying. I wanna ask Dia about what they actually talked about, but I don’t wanna be so damn nosy like the guys, ugh!” She grumbled to herself as she zipped up her Inky White Rider. She looked at herself in the mirror only to shake her head and find something else.

She slipped on her Black Squideye and popped on her 18K Aviators and took another look at herself again. Much better!

Typically, heading over to somebody’s place for the first time made Glaucon nervous beyond belief. But, today, Glaucon was more than ready to see somebody different than her usual crowd. The lavender squid rang the doorbell only to be met with an apron-clad Dia. 

“Ooh, you’re here early! Come on in and get comfy!” Dia exclaimed. “You can put your bag down in my room. “ She pointed to her bedroom down the hall with a sugar-covered spatula. 

“W-what’s with the apron?” Glaucon stammered as she watched the pink ruffles dance across Dia’s hips. 

“I’m baking! I actually went ahead and made that cake I was texting you about the other day!” Dia explained, her back turned to the flustered Glaucon as she continued frosting the cake on the counter. “It tastes better when it gets a chance to set up in the fridge, so I started the process yesterday. Oh, before I forget!” Dia turned around suddenly. “Don’t get too comfy, actually! We’re going to MakoMart to go pick up some stuff to make dinner.” She wiped her hands on her apron before carefully putting the heavy cake in the fridge. 

Glaucon wiped a tiny bit of drool from the corner of her mouth. “Wait, didn’t you go food shopping yesterday? Why are we going out again today?” She jeered.

Dia smirked. “ Yeah, I did! I could’ve gotten everything yesterday, but I thought it would be more fun if I put you to work!” 

A wide grin spread across Glaucon’s face. “Oh, what a gracious host you are!” 

“Actually, how did you know I went out yesterday? I don’t think I texted you last night?”

“Oh, Aiden was telling me how he saw you there yesterday!”

“That explains it!” Dia put her hand over her mouth and giggled. “That explains everything!”

The lavender squid grimaced back. “Stop yourself. We’re not caring about Aiden today. It’s a Glaucon and Dia kinda day today!”

“Whatever you say, sweetheart!” Dia took off her apron and wrapped herself up in her best friend’s arms. She closed her eyes and nuzzled her face in Glaucon’s neck as her expression became blissful. 

Glaucon’s face flushed bright red as she hugged her back. Cautiously, she planted a quick kiss on Dia’s forehead, only to be thanked by being shoved away quickly.

“I’m sorry!” They both exclaimed simultaneously.

“I’ve been doing that a lot!” Dia whined. “I get all excited to see you, cuz I really missed you, and then I start doing things that give you the wrong idea!”

“It’s okay! I’m sorry for making you uncomfortable!” Glaucon replied, feeling guiltier by the second. “And to be honest, I really missed you too! I’ve been excited to see you again since Aiden started talking about you last night!”

“Y-you…missed me?” Dia stammered.

“Of course I did! I love you, baby doll!” 

Both girls gasped and flushed an even brighter red that before. Dia covered her mouth with her hands, and Glaucon buried her face in her palm. 

“Was it really such a good idea to have me sleep over? I guess that kitchen floor is mine tonight!” Glaucon shook her head and made a smooth recovery. Thing’s could’ve easily gotten more awkward if she didn’t say something!

Dia sighed and put her hands on her hips. “Yes, it was a good idea! It’s just that you’re saying all the right things and getting us both all worked up!” Dia grabbed her house keys from its hook and grabbed her friend by the hand. “You can redeem yourself if you’re good for the rest of the day!”

“Yay!”

“But only if you behave yourself, do you hear me?”

“I hear you, girl!”

“So, um, “ Glaucon spoke softly as she pushed the cart next to Dia while the pair strolled around the supermarket. “Did you and Aiden talk at all yesterday?”

“Yup! We mostly talked about you!” Dia giggled. She grabbed a package of salmon filets and delicately them placed them in the cart. “He was telling me how you can’t cook, and that you’ve probably don’t know your way around a grocery store!”

“You right, you right!” Glaucon admitted with a smirk. She then sighed with relief, thankful that Aiden didn’t mention anything else to her. 

The baby blue Inkling burst into another one of her giggle fits. “You’re so hopeless! You’re lucky to have Aiden! I’m assuming he can cook?”

Glaucon grumbled something under her breath before responding. “Yeah, he can cook! But to be honest, his food is okay. What are you making, by the way?”

“You mean ‘we’, right? I’m not your personal maid, asshole, you’re helping me out!”

“Sorry, baby!”

“ _ We _ are making salmon meniere with lemon butter pasta for dinner!” 

Glaucon’s expression lit up. “That literally sounds like something from a five – star menu or something! Holy carp, I actually might have to marry you or something!” 

Dia’s face flushed as she smirked with a little bit of pride. “You haven’t even had it yet, but you’re already planning ahead?” She sheepishly reached for Glaucon’s hand as she walked beside her. 

“Do you even know how to boil water?!” The blue Inkling practically growled. 

“Of course I do!” Glaucon nodded her head as she placed the pasta pot on top of the burner. “Now I just put the lid on and wait for it to start heating up, right?”

Dia’s eyes focused in on the burner, then to Glaucon, and then back to the burner. “Okay, sure! That pot is going to heat up really quickly with that cold burner underneath it.”

“Oh, right!” Glaucon turned the stove’s knob up to the highest setting. “There, perfect!”

“Wrong side.” Dia slapped Glaucon’s hand aside and re-adjusted the knobs. She let out a heavy sigh and placed a hand on her friend’s shoulder. “Why don’t you try…something easier? Can you put some flour into this dish for me?” 

The lavender Inkling gave her an awkward thumbs-up before doing what she was told. She took a minute to watch in awe as her friend maneuvered around both the kitchen and all of the meal’s components with ease. 

“So um, how did you learn to do all this? You’re like, a pro!” Glaucon beamed. 

Dia looked over her shoulder to give her a gleeful smile. “My parents! I’ve been helping out in the kitchen since I was young, you know? I started with just sitting and watching, then maybe peeling potatoes or cleaning up, and then eventually, I started branching out on my own.” She explained, her voice tinged with nostalgia. “It’s something I’ve always kinda been good at too! And I honestly think I got better since I started living on my own.” She handed Glaucon the salmon filets and vaguely gestured towards the flour. “Could you coat these for me?”

Glaucon blinked in confusion for a few seconds before she figured out what she meant. She grabbed a fork to avoid touching the fish with her hands while she continued the conversation. “That’s amazing! You look so happy in the kitchen!”

Dia giggled, and began juicing and zesting a lemon. “I love cooking! And it’s not even that hard once you learn the basics!”

“But what if the basics are hard?”

“Then you’re just hopeless!” Dia snickered. She grabbed the now floured fish fillets and began pan-frying them in butter. “But that’s okay, nobody can be good at everything!”

“Says the girl who literally can do everything!” Glaucon shook her head. 

“What? No, I can’t!” The blue Inkling squealed. 

“I’ve never met a girl who’s had as many interests and skills as you do! You cook, you bake, you’re pretty good in a turf war, you sing! And you know a lot about coffee, too!”

“It’s just called being cultured!” Dia stuttered, unsure of how to take this praise. “You haven’t met other girls like that?”

“No! Most of the girls I’ve either dated or at least gone out with only really talk about drama and partying- never anything like you’ve done!” Glaucon explained.

“Then you must have a shit taste in girls, then! They all sound pretty shallow to me!” Dia exclaimed.

“I’d say my taste has gotten better recently!” The lavender squid said with a wink. 

“No it hasn’t, what do you mean-?” Dia mumbled quietly to herself before finally processing her comment. She quickly grabbed a cherry tomato from a carton on the counter and threw it at Glaucon, nailing her right in the forehead. As she recoiled from the pain, Dia turned back to the stove and continued cooking. 

“I guess you’re going you’re going to get well acquainted with this kitchen tile later, aren’t you?” Dia growled, her husky timber making yet another grand return. Despite her tough façade, nothing could mask her burning cheeks. 

After what seemed to be an eternity of waiting for Glaucon, she snapped out of her hunger trance at the sound of Dia’s exclamation of “it’s ready!” The baby blue Inkling plated two large portions of pasta and salmon and set them down on her tiny dining table. Glaucon grabbed her fork to start eating, but stopped herself when she noticed Dia grab two ornate, matching glasses from her cabinet as well as a fancy bottle of…something.

With a giggle, the blue Inkling set the glasses down and opened up the bottle with a corkscrew and happily poured a serving in each glass. Glaucon furrowed her brows, much to Dia’s concern. 

“What’s wrong? You’re not a fan of white wine? Do you want red, instead?” She fussed. 

“Are you even old enough to drink?” Glaucon shook her head.

Dia gave her a small gasp before her smile quickly melted into a frown. “Of course I am, I’m twenty! That’s exactly the legal age! What about you, huh?” She grumbled. 

“I’m twenty-two! And no, white wine is fine.” Glaucon replied with a snicker. 

As Dia re-sealed the wine bottle, her eyes lit up as she came up with a good response. “It’s kinda funny that you’re asking about my age now, of all times.”

“And why is that?” Glaucon glanced up at her friend, and then her plate, hoping that she could sit down sometime soon so she could start eating.

“Because! You started hitting on me at the café without even thinking about how old I was, but when it comes to alcohol,  _ now _ you’re all concerned!”

Glaucon felt the guilt building up in her chest. “Okay, you win! I’m sorry for being such a tight ass.” She picked up her glass and smiled. “Let’s have a good rest of the day now. Cheers!” 

“Cheers!” Dia squeaked as she raised her glass and clinked it against Glaucon’s. 

The pair began to enjoy the meal and each other’s company as the city ambience filled the room, providing some zen-like background noise. 

“This. Is. Amazing!” Glaucon exclaimed as she shoveled down her meal. “ I’ve never had salmon this flavorful before!”

“The secret is adding some chopped dill right at the end. “ Dia smiled while taking a sip of her wine. “And I hate to keep bringing this up, but how old did you think I was?”

Glaucon stuffed her mouth full with another bite of pasta to avoid answering for a while. “Um, maybe eighteen?”

“And if I wasn’t? “ 

“Then it wasn’t meant to be…” Glaucon trailed off nervously. “I’m sorry, okay!”

“I’ve already forgave you, don’t worry. “ Dia replied in between bites. “ That’s happened to me more times than I can count. Nobody can really figure out how old I am.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah…” Dia sighed as she recalled some painful memories. “I was called ‘ma’am’ once when I was like, twelve, and it’s gone downhill from there. “ Dia shook her head before noticing Glaucon’s plate. “Jeez, you really like to eat, don’t you?” 

“I mean, who doesn’t?” Glaucon chuckled.

“Help yourself to more, if you want!”

Glaucon sprang up from her seat and went straight for the pot, and dished herself another serving of the pasta. Dia giggled and poured herself another glass of wine. 

After the two girls ate their fill, Glaucon began washing the dishes. Dia ran into her bedroom to grab her Inktendo Switch, and began to set it up on its dock out in the living room. 

“Ika Kart or Cephalo-Party?” Dia asked, her speech already starting to slur. Despite this, the blue Inkling reached for the wine bottle and poured herself another glass. 

“Ika Kart! “ Glaucon cheered before sitting down next to her on the couch. She adjusted the strap on controller to fit her wrist. Just as Dia opened up the game, the lavender Inkling’s attention shifted to her friend’s glass. 

“Isn’t that your third glass?”

“Yup.” She replied nonchalantly.

“How much are you drinking?” Glaucon furrowed her brow once again.

“We’ll see. Do you want some more?” She giggled. 

“No, I have to pass. I’m horrible when I’m drunk!” Glaucon sighed. 

“How so?”Dia asked innocently.

Glaucon sighed as she selected her character to play as. “You can’t stand me half the time when I’m sober; you don’t wanna deal with me drunk. Trust me!”

“That sounds about right!” 

After a few rounds of Ika Kart and one very intense Cephalo-Party, Dia clumsily got up from the couch to get the cake out of the fridge. She pulled out a pair of rather lovely, but mostly unused dessert plates from her cabinet as well as a cake serving spatula. 

“How big do you want your piece?” Dia exclaimed, her eyes lighting up as she viewed her masterpiece. 

“Let’s just share a piece! I probably can’t finish one on my own!” Glaucon protested.

The baby blue Inkling nodded and cut one massive slice of cake, and brought the plate over with two forks. Glaucon merely laughed as the two scooted next to each other to enjoy the sweet treat. 

Glaucon shoved a small piece into her mouth, only to be pleasantly surprised. The algae frosting had an almost nuttiness quality to it that provided a more complex flavor to it that just any old plain frosting. The cake itself was moist and rich- a much needed contrast to the complex bitter sweetness of the frosting. 

“Do you like it?” Dia asked with her mouth full of cake. 

“I love it! It’s like you knew exactly what I like!” Glaucon gushed, still trying to appreciate all of the cake’s nuances and textures.

“You’re weird, that’s why!” Dia wiped her mouth with the back of her hand before continuing. “ You don’t like your coffee too sweet, but you get all frustrated when it’s too bitter. And you really like that sweet algae latte that I recommended to you the other day. So I found a recipe that kinda had used both ideas, and here we are!” Dia grinned as she enjoyed the fruits of her hard work. 

“Holy carp, I love you so much! “ Glaucon replied. She took one last bite before leaving the rest for Dia, which she devoured promptly. 

“I love you too, that’s why I went all out today!” She answered back. Dia wiped the cake crumbs off of her shirt before washing the plate and putting the cake back in the fridge. “Also, do you want the shower first?” 

“You should go first!” The lavender squid stretched out her arms and yawned. “I still gotta find my pajamas and stuff.” 

The baby blue Inkling emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later, donning her pink nightgown with fluffy white bloomer shorts underneath. Steam fogged up every crevice of the bathroom, and a strong, floral scent wafted out into the living room. 

“It’s all yours, sweetheart!” Dia yawned. The alcohol was finally starting to take its full effect. As she walked into the bedroom to grab something, Glaucon couldn’t stop herself from fixating on the Dia’s bloomers and bare thighs before eventually pulling her eyes away. As she stepped into the shower herself, she felt her heart start racing. Knowing that her adorable friend was in here mere moments ago wasn’t helping in the slightest. 

Now clad in her own pajamas, a white camisole and a pair of silky pajama shorts, Glaucon went back to the couch to find Dia there with her laptop.

“So, remember how I was supposed to tell you about something good today?” Dia began, her eyes starting to light up. 

“Oh yeah, that thing you were so excited about on Monday!” The lavender Inkling snapped her fingers excitedly.

“Well, “ Dia pulled up a video file on her laptop. “I have a friend who’s a DJ, and we’ve been working together to try and make a song. And the other day, I finished writing the lyrics, and he finished the track! On Monday, I met up with him and we ran through the chorus together to see how the finished song sounds. “

“And?” 

“And I’ll let you see for yourself!”

Dia pressed the play button on the file. The Dia in the video waved to the camera and gave Frederick a thumbs up before grabbing an empty iced tea bottle to use as a makeshift microphone. Once the track started, the Dia in the video began belting out the chorus of  _ Deadlock Rock _ . 

Glaucon’s entire face lit up as she watched in awe. Was this really the same girl she had knew? In the video, she didn’t come off as sweet and demure like earlier. On camera, she gave off a confident, almost seductive aura. 

Dia stopped the video around the thirty second mark, right before the first verse started. “The rest is a secret! When we finally do perform this live and debut, I want you to be there and be surprised when you hear the full thing!” Dia grabbed her friend's hand and gazed into her eyes and she spoke. 

“Of course I will! I’m literally going to be your biggest fan!” Glaucon exclaimed while holding her hand tighter. 

“You have no idea how happy that makes me to hear you say that!” She replied. “I can’t wait to start making more-“ She cut herself off with a loud yawn. 

“Somebody’s exhausted!” Glaucon yawned back. “Why don’t we call it a night and go to bed?” 

“Yeah, that sounds good! Let’s go, then.” Dia agreed. She took Glaucon by the hand and started to lead her back to her bedroom, much to her reluctance. 

“Oh, no! That’s not going to happen!”Glaucon stammered nervously. 

“Why not? I was joking about making you sleep in the kitchen, you know!” Dia protested.

“Well, the couch is fine! The couch is honestly just fine!” The lavender squid looked away in embarrassment. 

“You have fun with that…but if you get sick of it, then there’s plenty of room in my bed for you- I promise.” She sighed before disappearing into her room.

Glaucon let out a sigh of relief as she started to settle in on the longer of the two sofas. Just as she began to get comfortable, an icy cold draft blew right across the living room. Despite it being May, the nights were freezing without the sun around. Hoping to shake it off, Glaucon turned her back to the window only to be hit with another draft. With a sigh, she rolled up her sheet and knocked on Dia’s bedroom door.

“Baby doll,” Glaucon grumbled.

“Yes, sweetheart?” She replied sleepily.

“You gotta do something about that window, it’s freezing out there with that draft.” Glaucon whined.

“I’m aware. But the living room isn’t for sleeping, silly. ” She answered back. The two shared a moment of awkward silence before Glaucon piped up again.

“Any ideas? Any at all about how to fix it?”

Dia replied simply by lifting up her comforter and beckoning for her to come over. Glaucon let out a heavy sigh before obeying. 

“Are you sure you’re okay with this? Is this some dumb, drunk idea you got that you’ll regret tomorrow?”Glaucon mumbled while she settled in.

“Of course I am! I was really looking forward to this!” Dia murmured gleefully. She leaned in closer to her friend and rested her head up against her chest. 

“Looking forward to what?”

“Cuddling!” Dia exclaimed. The blue Inkling threw her arms around Glaucon’s neck and kissed her on the cheek. “Can you hold me, please?”

Flabbergasted and excited, Glaucon whispered a quick “okay” before she hugged her back. Just as she imagined, Dia’s skin was amazingly soft and sweet smelling from the body wash she had used earlier. This feeling was only made better by how luxuriously soft Dia’s nightgown was. Without realizing it, Glaucon’s hands had traveled to Dia’s hips, dangerously close to her bloomers. As Glaucon tried to move her hands away, Dia threw a leg over Glaucon’s hip rather possessively, only causing the older Inkling’s hand to shift and land right on Dia’s upper thigh. 

In response, Dia let out what could have been a quiet, muffled moan before letting her hands fall to Glaucon’s hips as well. Meanwhile, Glaucon’s racing heart almost beat right of her chest and she became overly mindful of where her hands were. Eventually, the two girls decided just to spoon each other than to figure out something while facing each other. Contented, Dia dozed off almost immediately. Glaucon, on the other hand, ran her hand through her friend’s tentacles and played with them for a while before she eventually fell asleep as well.


	10. The Morning After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Glaucon...has no filter sometimes.

“I did WHAT?” 

“You threw your leg over my hips, then my hand slipped and I kinda…ended up touching your thighs, and you um- moaned a little.”

At this revelation, Dia’s face flushed red while she shook her head vigorously. “I’m so sorry! I just haven’t slept with anybody in a long time, so I guess I got excited and went a little wild!”

“Don’t stress, don’t stress! Nothing crazier than that happened last night, so it was all good!”

“I just feel bad though! You’re starting to get serious with Aiden, and here I am covering you in kisses and moaning after we just shared a bed!” Dia whined loudly.

“Hey, remember how we said that we weren’t going to worry about him right now? It’s our weekend together!” Dia nodded her head slowly, which put a smile on the lavender squid’s face. “By the way, those bloomers are honestly stupidly adorable! Do you always wear them to bed?”

“Not usually! I bought these kinda recently, so I’ve only just started wearing them. Usually I don’t really wear anything if I’m- “Dia cut herself off before turning bright red. “Actually, never mind!”

Glaucon erupted into a fit of laughter, and Dia eventually joined in as well. They both flopped backwards onto the bed. The girls faced each other and held hands while Dia threw the comforter back over them. 

“I guess this is what they call domestic bliss, huh?” Glaucon teased. 

“Yeah, sure! Just without the sex. “ Dia replied hastily.

“We could try it one day if you’re comfortable!”

Dia paused for a moment, taken aback by how casual her offer was. “No time soon sweetheart – I’m not wasting my first time on you.”

A few long, agonizing moments of horribly awkward silence passed before Glaucon sprang up from the bed.

“I’m sorry, what?!” She exclaimed, nearly shouting.

“It’s nothing personal! It would totally try it with you one day, but I’m saving myself for my first love, you know?”

“No, not that! I totally get that part! But you’ve never had sex before?” 

“No, I haven’t? What’s your point?” Dia sprang up from the bed as well, furrowing her eyebrows as she saw where the conversation was going.

“How??”

“I wasn’t interested in anybody!”

“Not even for a hook-up?”

“I’m not into that!”

Glaucon struggled to catch her breath. “Oh my cod, that’s crazy. Okay, okay! First of all, I’m sorry for overreacting!”

“That’s an understatement.”

“I’m also sorry for getting super judgmental again, I gotta be more careful from here on out!” 

“I forgave you already, just don’t do it again!” Dia sighed as she laid back down. 

“And one more thing!” Glaucon finally caught her breath after basically wheezing for most of the conversation. “Would you really fuck me sometime after you’ve…you know?”

Dia burst out laughing. Instead of coming up with some witty comeback, she climbed into Glaucon’s lap and kissed her on the lips. Glaucon knew better than to get flustered. If this was what Dia wanted, then she might as well go along with it! She wrapped her arms around her friend and started to open her mouth, only to have Dia shove her tongue inside hastily. 

After a few minutes of making out, the two Inklings started giggling and cuddling once more as they laid back down in bed. 

“If that didn’t answer your question, I don’t know what will!” Dia yawned. 

“You’ve absolutely kissed before, holy carp!” Glaucon gushed. “I was debating on whether or not I should try French kissing you, but you clearly knew what you wanted.”

“Go back to bed, you big dummy!” She mumbled sleepily. 

“It’s nine in the morning though!”Glaucon protested.

“It’s Sunday, and you have a cute girl in bed with you. Are you really going to be complaining right now?” The blue Inkling growled seductively, making Glaucon’s heart start racing once again. 

“Never in a million years.” 


	11. Comfort, Confessions, and Coral Ridge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ah, this chapter brings back so many summer memories! Coral Ridge is actually based off of a neighborhood in my hometown where a lot of my irl friends live, so forgive me if I get a little too caught up in describing it!

Glaucon rolled over on to her back only to see that the clock read 11 A.M. When was the last time that she slept in this long? Typically, she'd be up and out of the house by 9:30 at the latest. She glanced over at Dia, who had her back turned to her. Glaucon put her arm around her waist, and snuggled closer to her.

“I know you’re awake!” Glaucon whispered in her ear. 

“Yeah, and?” Dia laughed, her voice still a little scratchy from sleeping for long. 

“Let’s get up now, we can’t just stay in bed all day!” Glaucon jeered as she started to pull the covers off of herself and Dia. 

“We can’t?” The blue Inkling mumbled as she stretched out her legs and arms, almost like a cat. 

Glaucon leaned over her and gave her a quick kiss on her cheek. “C’mon, let’s go get some breakfast or something- it’s on me!” Just as Dia opened her mouth to protest, the lavender squid kissed her on the lips and grinned. “Don’t gimme that! You went all out for me yesterday; this is my way of saying thanks!”

Dia rolled her eyes in response and finally got out of bed. She rummaged through her closet to find something to wear before eventually settling on a skater dress with an anchor pattern printed on it. Just as she began undressing, Glaucon grabbed herself an outfit out of her bag before quickly heading for the bathroom.

“Was she really just going to change right in front of me?” She muttered to herself as she changed out of her pajamas. As she finished, Dia stumbled into the bathroom and practically pushed Glaucon aside to use the sink. 

“Sorry, you’re just in the way.” She muttered as she started to brush her teeth. 

Glaucon snickered. “You’re so mean!” She replied as she pushed her back. 

The blue Inkling giggled. The two continued to fight over the tiny bathroom space before they eventually managed to finish washing up. 

The pair left the house, hand-in-hand, and headed to the train station. May was starting to finally heat up. Nearly all of the other Inklings and Octolings who were out and about all looked miserable in the brutal sunshine. 

“So, “ Dia began as she took a seat on the train next to her friend. “About what happened earlier…”

Glaucon took a deep breath. She wasn’t completely ready to address this again at all, much less on the train! “What about it, baby?”

“Were you being serious?” Dia’s voice softened as she focused in on Glaucon’s eyes, desperately awaiting her response.

“ To be honest, I was only half-joking when I first said it, but after the way you reacted, I’m kinda 100% serious now!” Glaucon put her hand behind her head and laughed sheepishly. “Are you still serious about it?”

Dia’s expression softened. “Yeah, I am!”. She took Glaucon’s hand while she spoke and gripped it tightly. “ I just...feel a little guilty though.”   
  
“About what?” Glaucon raised her eyebrows. 

“Well, it’s just that you were telling me about your date with Aiden the other day and I was even thinking about how you two would make a good couple… and then to go and complicate all of that just makes me feel weird.”

Glaucon sighed and crossed her arms. “I thought we weren’t gonna talk about him!”

“Yeah ,but we gotta talk about it or else I’m gonna cry sooner or later.” Dia pouted. 

“Okay, fine! I hate seeing you cry. “ Glaucon took Dia’s hand again and glanced out the train window. “ I don’t know how I’m feeling about Aiden. There are some days where he’s charming and sweet to me, and there are other days where he gets me so damn angry without realizing it! I’m actually a little pissed off at him right now. He said something in the squad’s group chat that is probably not worth getting mad about, I’m still pissed off anyway!”

“What did he say?”

“Oh, ‘it's nice to see you have a girl around that you’re not constantly hitting on’!” The lavender squid gave her best impression of her mentor. “Like, listen buddy! I can do whatever the hell I want with my friends! I don’t care if you’re jealous! Who is he to try and tell me what I should and shouldn’t do! Does that make sense?”

Dia nodded her head. “That’s annoying! It’s like he’s getting possessive of you and like, borderline controlling?” She sighed, actively trying to calm down a little bit. 

“‘Controlling’, yeah! That’s exactly it!” Glaucon snapped her fingers. “I don’t care how much of a gentleman can be, he’s really pisses me off when he does this shit.”

“Aren’t you glad you got this off your chest before you had to go see them again?” Dia teased.

“Oh my cod, you’re so right.” Glaucon nodded her head. “Oh, look! This is our stop. “ Glaucon took Dia’s hand as she led her over to the train’s exit doors. 

Back out in the heat, the baby blue Inkling looked around the area excitedly. The crowd around here wasn’t like anything like the city’s central or even the Wakame district where lived. The cephalopods were a mixture of young and old, which was a rare site in the youth-dominated city of Inkopolis.    
  


“What district is this, again?” Dia asked Glaucon as she pulled on her friend’s shirt. 

“This is the Umi district, where I live! But this neighborhood is called Coral Ridge. There’s a ton of like, families and stuff, so the vibe is a lot less intimidating that most other places in the city.” Glaucon explained. “C’mon, the diner’s right around here!” 

Dia laced her fingers with Glaucon’s as she did her best to try to walk a bit slower than usual. She wanted to take in everything while she still could. 

“Look, look, look!” Dia squealed as her eyes focused in on a mother Inkling and her baby. “The baby boy is so adorable, I just wanna pinch his cheeks!”

“Um, sure?” Glaucon replied with a puzzled look on her face. “You like kids, Dia?”

“Oh my cod, I love them!” She beamed. “I really wanna be a mom one day- that’s my dream!”

“Really?” Glaucon raised her eyebrows. “To be honest, that’s so you! I can see you being a good mama one day!”

Dia’s entire expression lit up with joy. 

The girls walked along together as Dia pointed out every family in her line of sight before they finally arrived at the diner in question. As they walked in, the hostess quickly slid her phone in her back pocket and picked up her pen.

“Table for two?” She asked before leading Glaucon and Dia to a booth by the windows. She gave Glaucon grumpy look before walking away. 

Dia sighed. “Lemme guess, you know her!” She said while opening her menu.

“Well, yeah. I probably do?” Glaucon blushed a little.

“What do you mean, ‘probably’?” Dia pushed. 

“Like, she’s one of my exes-”

“One of many?”

Glaucon snicked. “ One of many! But I actually can’t remember her name.”

Dia shook her head and instead focused on the menu. “They have waffles here!” She squealed. Without realizing, she started tapping her foot out of excitement.

Glaucon smiled and became a little less tense. She gently put her foot over Dia’s under the table, much to the blue Inkling’s annoyance. Dia furrowed her eyebrows at her for a second before continuing to gush about food.

“I think I want the funfetti waffles!” She grinned. “What are you getting?”

“Probably just pancakes or something. Thanks to you, I’m feeling something sweet.” Glaucon yawned.

Dia blushed and smiled. “See, sweet things are great- welcome to my world!”

The two began giggling loudly, only to be interrupted by the sound of their waitress clearing her throat rather loudly. A scowl spread across her face as she pulled out her notepad.

“What can I get you two today?” She asked, donning her fake, friendly customer-service voice. 

Glaucon kissed her teeth quietly while Dia ordered first. “Could I get a coffee and the funfetti waffles?” She asked with an equally as fake cheery voice. 

“And for you, Glaucon?” The waitress asked.

“Coffee and the kelp pancakes, please. “ The lavender squid said quickly. 

Once their waitress had left, Glaucon breathed a heavy sigh of relief. “Damn, I forgot that she works weekends. “ 

“Another ex?” Dia asked softly, feeling bad for her friend.

“Yeah! Can’t remember her name, as usual, but the break up was horrible.” She glanced around the diner to see who else was working. Thankfully, she only vaguely recognized the other staff. “ I’ll tell you about it another day. Anyways, I bet you’re a Marina fangirl, aren’t you?”

Dia blinked with surprise. “Yeah, how did you know?” She stammered.

“Cause you’re totally backing up Team Waffles right now!” Glaucon threw her hands behind her head and sat back in her seat. 

Dia snickered and face-palmed. “We’re really bringing up that old Splatfest, huh? But yeah, I am!” The blue Inkling’s eyes lit up while her foot started tapping again. “She’s my hero! After I heard  _ Color Pulse  _ for the first time, that’s what made me go after my childhood dream of being a singer again!”

Glaucon raised her eyebrows. “Seriously? To be honest, that’s kinda adorable to think that you look up to her like that!” 

“Oh, stop!” Dia giggled. “I’m not the most confident person out there, which is kinda why I’m always looking up to someone. “ Her expression softened while she clasped her hands together. 

The two girls shared a mutual look of contentment right as the waitress brought their breakfast. Dia said a quick thanks before she left while Glaucon immediately began to reach for her fork. Dia pulled out her phone to take a picture of her plate before digging in herself. 

“Oh my cod,” Glaucon laughed in between bites of her pancakes. “Are you one of those who uploads all of her food pics to Coralgram?”

“I don’t upload all of them!” Dia replied a little defensively. “I only post the ones that have a good memory attached to them- like these waffles!” 

Glaucon nearly spit out her coffee as she processed Dia’s comment. “Holy carp, I wasn’t expecting that. Is this how you feel when I say something really corny?”

Dia took a sip of her coffee before replying. “Yeah, actually! I’ve been saying a ton of dumb things like that recently - and it’s probably because I’ve been hanging around you too much!” She said with a grin.

The pair enjoyed the rest of their late breakfast, despite the jealous stares coming from Glaucon’s two exes. Back outside, Dia insisted on strolling around time some more. Glaucon, of course, agreed right away, and together they walked arm-in-arm around the neighborhood. They eventually stopped to take a break on a bench by the docks to sit and chat. 

“It’s your turn to spill your guts, you know?” Dia teased as she rested her head on the lavender squid’s shoulder. “I feel like I’ve been talking about myself all day!”

“You actually haven't, but okay?” Glaucon replied. “What do you wanna know about me?”

“Why did you leave home and move here?”

Glaucon sighed. “Right to the heavy stuff, huh? Well, sure!” She threw her arm around the blue Inkling and pulled her closer. “Let’s get this out of the way first- I grew up on a kelp farm.”

Dia gasped loudly before looking over at Glaucon. She covered her mouth with her hands and nodded for her to keep going.

“Crazy, right? But anyways, my parents thought that I would get married, have kids, and take over that farm after they died. But, I always knew that wasn’t how I wanted to live. I wanted something crazy and glamourous to do. Something, something -”

“Dynamic?” Dia interjected.

“‘Dynamic’, I love that!!” Glaucon snapped her fingers. “So I started saving up all of my money from allowance and birthdays and left the morning after my fourteenth birthday and got on the train to Inkopolis.”

“How did your parents react?”

“Well, for starters, they had another kid.” Glaucon replied dryly. Dia’s furrowed her eyebrows. 

“Yup, they really did!” Glaucon continued. “They basically gave up on me, labeled me a lost cause, and had my brother. They figured that they would start over and raise a kid that would take over their work for them. “

“Have you spoken to them at all since then?” Dia asked, holding herself back from tearing up.

“I’ve been back for like, holidays and whatnot, but it’s awkward. My dad can’t stand me anymore, and he’s so bad at hiding it. My mom wants to try and make things right, but whenever I try to talk about my life over here, she just kinda nods her head and changes the subject real fast. They don’t care about how I’m A-ranked now, or that I finally got sponsored by Tentatek- all they care about is pretending like they have their family together in front of their friends and stuff. “ Glaucon realized how tightly she was clenching her fist as she was explaining. 

Dia laid a soft hand on top of her fist, causing Glaucon to take a deep breath and steady herself. “Thanks, baby. I didn’t realize how worked up I was getting. But yeah, that’s basically how things are at my place.”

The blue Inkling wiped a tear from her eye. “I bet they’re the kind of people who say that ‘family is everything’, but then they turn around and talk shit about you as soon as you leave.”

“Oh, absolutely!”

Dia began sobbing silently, her eyes focused on the ships sailing out in the distance. Much to both of their surprise, Glaucon began to tear up as well. Although she started to wipe her face dry with her handkerchief, the tears came faster and fatter than she expected. 

“You don’t need them.” Dia sniffled. “You don’t need them anymore.” She reassured Glaucon while squeezing her hand. 

Glaucon nodded her head before breaking out into sobs. She cried out and buried her head into Dia’s chest while her friend stroked her tentacles. The two stayed like this for a few moments before Glaucon picked up her head. 

“My cod, I’m sorry!” She chuckled. “I’ve just been hitting you with all kinds of emotions today.”

Dia pecked her on the lips quickly. “You really have, but it’s good. I’ve learned so much about you today! And...it makes me feel so much closer to you.” 

Glaucon smiled warmly. “Thank you.” She muttered as she wiped her face again with her shirt. “I feel the same way. I can’t remember the last time I cried; much less had a full blown breakdown in someone else’s arms.” She chuckled. 

The two Inklings stood up and shared a warm embrace. They walked hand-in-hand back to the train station, and made their way back to Dia’s apartment. As Glaucon packed her bag with her belongings, Dia stood in the kitchen and started wrapping up leftover cake for her to take home. 

“Um, Dia, “ Glaucon stammered. “Can I be serious with you again?” 

“Of course you can!” She replied as he rummaged through her cabinet to find some tin foil. 

“Okay. This sounds crazy, especially ‘cuz we haven’t known each other that long, but you mean so much to me! Like, more than you probably know.”

Dia stopped dead in her tracks. She blinked in confusion before nodding her head. 

“Usually, when I tell somebody about my shitty past, they just play it off for a laugh or say something really quickly to pretend like they care. Nobody’s ever held me and listened to me complain like that. “

“You’re being so-”

“Not even Aiden.”

Dia dropped the roll of tin foil. She covered her mouth with her hands. “What are you trying to say?” She gasped. 

Glaucon smirked. “To be honest, I’m not a hundred percent sure. But, I just want you to know that I love you so much, and that I’m so lucky to have met you. “ She slung her bag over her shoulder and walked over to Dia. She kissed her on the lips before gazing into her eyes deeply. 

Dia’s heart began to pound out of her chest. This feeling was so absolutely foreign to her. Crushes were one thing, but to be so attached and in love with someone that even a few words could set her heart on fire...it was something very different. Wait. Was she in love after all?

“Glaucon, I…” Dia stammered. “I feel the same way.” Was all she could manage to say. Her head was too cluttered with all of her racing thoughts to think of anything else.

“When can I see you again?” Glaucon asked. “ I can’t do this Saturday, but maybe we can hang out real quick during the week. Maybe at my place this time?”

Dia nodded her head and picked up the tin foil that she dropped. She wrapped up the paper plate holding Glaucon’s slice of cake and handed it to her. 

“Sure, that sounds fun! Does Thursday work?” Dia replied shyly. 

“Of course it does! We can talk about times and stuff, later.” Glaucon nodded. “But for now, I really gotta get going. Thank you for everything, baby doll.” 

“I loved every minute of it.” 

Dia walked Glaucon to the train station, doing her best to get as much time with her as possible. She nearly walked right on the train back to the Umi district with her. But she held herself back and shook her head. 

Back at her apartment, she began to tidy up when she noticed Glaucon’s 18K Aviators resting on her coffee table. Dia giggled and tried them on herself. She pulled out her phone, took a quick selfie, and sent it to its owner before continuing to clean up.


	12. ♪Coffee Friends Chat♪

Glauc&Roll: OH NO

Glauc&Roll: I NEED THOSE

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Well, now you have to come and see me sometime soon, then!

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Don’t worry, I’ll keep them safe until then <3

Glauc&Roll: damn

Glauc&Roll: I always wear those when i go out

Glauc&Roll: but its cool, now you have a piece of me to hang on to, lmaooo

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Speaking of, the bed is gonna be hella cold tonight without you around

Glauc&Roll: aw shit, you right

Glauc&Roll: damn, i’m not ready to sleep in my bed alone later

Glauc&Roll: ughhhh

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: It’s okay, we can definitely do this again soon!

Glauc&Roll: yesss

Glauc&Roll: but seriously, thanks for this weekend

Glauc&Roll: I was in such a shitty mood before, and now I feel like I’m on top of the world

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: SAME

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Hell, if you didn’t have to wake up so early tomorrow, I would come over right now and crawl in your bed with you

Glauc&Roll: !!!

Glauc&Roll: damn girl

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: ???

Glauc&Roll: it’s weird to hear you flirting with me?? but I love it???

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Was that last bit flirting though?

Glauc&Roll: YES

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Whatever you want, sweetheart!

Glauc&Roll: Lol, btw! How does Thursday at noon sound for hanging out? I kinda feel like we should turf together, or even do some salmon run shifts

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Ooh, I haven’t done salmon run in a while! And yeah, sounds good to me!

Glauc&Roll: awesome!

Glauc&Roll: but be careful! next time I see you i’ll be tempted to start making out with you and embarrass you in front of Inkopolis

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: That’s fine with me, just make sure you do it with tongue or else I’ll be disappointed

Glauc&Roll: !!!!!!!

Glauc&Roll: OMFG YOURE SO FREAKING CUTE


	13. Two, Four, and Now Six Cephalopods

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get to meet the rest of the main crew!

Once Thursday afternoon rolled around lazily, Dia headed down to the Square a bit earlier than planned to meet up with her bestie. She had spent most of the morning obsessing over every little detail of her outfit. There was no way she could calm down after everything leading to today. Every other night, whenever she called up Glaucon, there was no hiding the suggestive subtext in their conversations. How would today play out? Just as she got off of her train, her phone rang. Since it was  _ Bomb Rush Blush  _ playing, she knew it was Glaucon, the squid in question.

“Hey sweetheart, what’s good?” Dia answered shyly. 

“Hi baby!” Glaucon replied back over the phone. “ I gotta ask you something real quick.”

“Go ahead!”

“So I made some friends this week who are amazing at Salmon Run! Do you mind if they join us today?”

Dia nodded her head. “ Of course they can! As long as I get to see you, I’m happy!” 

Glaucon cheered a little bit. “Great, I’ll meet you at GrizzCo! I’ll see you soon!”

With that, Dia hung up the phone and skipped over to the alleyway by the GrizzCo building. She tapped her feet excitedly and played on her phone before she saw Glaucon come out the front with two Octoling girls by her side. Dia jumped into Glaucon’s arms before giving the two octolings a quick smile. 

“This is the friend who I was telling you about!” Glaucon explained. “Maya, Elise- I’d like you guys to meet my best girl, Dia!” 

“It is nice to be meeting you!” The pink Octarian chirped. The orange Octarian girl hid behind her and waved to Dia shyly. “My name is Maya, and this is my sister, Elise. But you can just call her Ellie.”

“I’m happy to meet you both!” Dia replied. “Glaucon was telling me that you guys are like, really good at Salmon Run?”

“I don’t like Turf Wars all that much. “ Elise mumbled.

“She’s too scared scared of them, and Ranked battles aren’t much better. So we decided to work Salmon Run shifts together, and we’ve had plenty of practice!” Maya explained. 

“They’re both profreshionals, by the way!” Glaucon interjected, getting a reaction out of Dia. 

“Both of you are?” Dia exclaimed. The Octoling sisters nodded in agreement. “I’m only a Go-Getter myself…”

“Don’t worry about that! We can still have fun working together!” Maya clapped her hands together and smiled. 

The other three girls looked at each other and smiled. Not long after, the four cephalopods hopped onto the next ship departing for Lost Outpost. Once they all super jumped to the egg basket, the Octoling sisters wasted no time laying down their ink around the map before the first wave started. Dia and Glaucon followed suit and swam over to the pair to try and catch up.

The first wave might as well have been a joke. Elise was an absolute monster with the E-liter loaned from the company. Perhaps due to their closeness, it seemed as if the sisters hardly had to say anything for them to automatically sync up in battle. As Maya destroyed the cohocks and small fry in front of her with her Tri-Slosher, Elise demolished a nearby Steelhead with one charge, causing it to spill its golden eggs. Dia and Glaucon merely cared the eggs back to the basket, as they decided to stay out of their way. 

The third and final wave was no harder. Much to Dia’s dismay, the sky grew dark as a Griller surfaced and made its way onto land. With no hesitation, Elise led the monster towards the base so that the other three could destroy it closer to the egg basket. With Maya holding the E-Liter now, the Griller never stood a chance. With fifty five golden eggs under their belts, the four friends super jumped back to the ship with a chorus of booyahs.

Upon returning to Inkopolis, the cephalopods were greeted by two unfamiliar squids, a green Inkling girl wearing a grumpy expression and a yellow Inkling girl with twin-tails, waiting by the GrizzCo building. Maya and Elise’s faces lit upon immediately.

“Hiro-chan, Kai-chan!” They squealed in unison.

“Relax, it’s only been a few days!” The yellow Inkling chuckled. “I didn’t know you two would miss us that much.”

The green Inkling girl scoffed before pulling Maya into a tight embrace. “Our work has been taken care of for now, so we have time to spend with you two now. Or should I say, you four?” Her attention shifted to Dia and Glaucon standing awkwardly to the side. “Are they friends of yours?”

“Yeah!” Maya squeaked as she hugged her back. “These our our newest friends, Dia and Glaucon.” She explained. “And these are our other friends! The yellow girl is Kai, and this is Hiroko!”

Elise gave Kai a quick fist bump and giggled. “So much is going on today!” She exclaimed. 

“Yeah, definitely!” Dia nodded her head. “Why don’t we all get something to eat and get to all know each other?”

The six cephalopods cheered as they made their way to Crusty Sean’s truck. 

“So, if I’ve got this right…” Dia began. “Maya’s the responsible big sister who’s a splattling main, Ellie is our fashion forward sniper and Splatterscope main,” She explained. The Octoling sisters nodded their heads gleefully as they ate up her praise. “Hiroko-san-”

“Just Hiro is fine. “ The green Inkling interrupted. 

“Hiro-san is our stoic and cool shooter main who’s the best with strategy! And Kai-chan...she’s our joker!” 

With that answer, a roar of laughter came from the other girls while Kai began to fake cry. “That’s all I am to you? I thought we were friends!” She protested. 

“We just met, silly!” Elise giggled.

“We are, we are!” Dia replied. “It’s just that all you’ve done so far is crack jokes, so that’s what I came up with!”

“And I hate it!” Kai whined. 

“What are you going to do- tell your mommy on her?” Hiroko jeered.

Just as Kai opened her mouth to reply, she shook her head and face palmed. 

Maya finished the last bite of her ebiyaki and grinned. “We need to hang out like this again sometime soon!” She exclaimed. “Right, Hiro-chan?”

The green Inkling nodded and folded her arms. “I agree. Glaucon’s a piece of work, but Dia’s pretty cool. “

Glaucon shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. “I’m not gonna deny it - Dia’s told me the same thing a million times. “ The two veteran Ink Athletes looked at each other and smirked. 

“Yeah! Dia’s like, the best ever! She’s like our team mom!” Elise squealed, causing Dia to blush profusely.

“Wha-?” She stammered.

“I’ll take a second mom, sure!” Kai laughed. 

“I am in agreeing with you!” Maya giggled.

“Seriously?” Dia protested. Glaucon laid a hand on her shoulder and laughed. 

“This is perfect, you’re a mom now - just like you’ve always dreamed of!” Glaucon teased. The six girls burst into more fits of laughter before eventually parting ways for the day. 

Dia and Glaucon walked back to Glaucon’s apartment together. Just as Dia put her bag down, the lavender squid let out a cheerful shout. 

“I can’t believe this, we actually have our own group of friends now! And they’re all girls!” Glaucon cheered

“Cute girls, mind you!” Dia squealed. 

Glaucon shook her head and grinned. “Oh, which one is your favorite, then?”

Dia put a hand over her mouth and giggled. “Maya.” She replied quickly.

“Oh, come on! She’s my favorite!” Glaucon responded in mock protest. 

“Fine, then Elise! I love her sense of style, I wanna ask her for a makeover one day!” Dia grinned. 

After ordering a pizza for dinner, Dia and Glaucon took their turns in the shower, changed into pajamas, and both climbed into Glaucon’s massive bed. Just as they leaned toward each other for kisses, both of the girls’ phone began to light up with notifications. As they expected, it was the group chat that they had started with their new friends.

“Ah well, I guess we’ll have to save it for tomorrow morning.” Glaucon said with a wink, as her hand travelled down to Dia’s bloomers. 

“You act like we’re banging or something! We are not, okay?” Dia grabbed Glaucon’s hand and tossed it away playfully before reaching for her phone. 

Nestled under the covers, the two Inklings excitedly typed away on their phones to reply to their new friends.


	14. Lovely Ladies Chat~!

Hatchin♥: Did everybody join? Reply with your real name if you got it!

Hatchin♥: Maya!

San_tana: hiroko

KyuT: Ellie!

Glauc&Roll: glaucon

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Dia!

KyuT: Who are we missing?

LemonBae: ohai

LemonBae: kai

San_tana: maya, kick her

Hatchin♥: lol, why?

San_tana: that’s the worst screen name I’ve ever seen in my life

KyuT: Kai, we love you, but it’s pretty bad

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: What’s so bad about it??

Hatchin♥: Well, it’s kinda complicated as the reasons why, but we all used to work together at some point

Hatchin♥:And we all had code names and a number assigned to us to tell us apart!

San_tana: mine was three, so I made my screen name a pun on it

San_tana: san meaning three

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: it’s also a reference to an amazing show!

San_tana: THANKYOU

San_tana: so is yours, and I appreciate it 

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Thanks fam!

Glauc&Roll: (it is???)

LemonBae: (leave the nerds alone, that’s what i do)

Glauc&Roll: that’s cool with the number puns though

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Right! Lemme guess the rest!

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Maya is 8, Ellie is 9, and kai is….

Glauc&Roll: maybe four?

Hatchin♥: Yeah, you’re exactly right!

LemonBae: Good guessing my dude!

San_tana: but yeah, there’s no number pun in her screen name, so you wouldn't have known unless i told you mine first

San_tana: and that’s why it’s horrible 

KyuT: is anyone gonna talk about how they finish each other’s sentences, even in text?

Hatchin♥: Lol, that is pretty cute! Just like me and Hiro-chan!

San_tana: do we really?

Hatchin♥: Yup! XD

LemonBae: that is hella adorable

LemonBae: how long have you been together?

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Um, we’re not dating??

Hatchin♥: Really????

KyuT: you’re lying!!!

San_tana: i’m calling a bluff right here

LemonBae: WAT

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: It’s true though!

Glauc&Roll: stop kicking my leg 

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: oh sorry

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: i didn’t even notice I was lmao

LemonBae: !!!!

LemonBae: Are you guys hanging out rn? This late?

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Yeah, I’m sleeping over Glauc’s place tonight

Glauc&Roll: and rn she’s in my bed, haha

KyuT: this really isn’t helping your case, dia

Hatchin♥: You can tell us, you don’t have to hide it!

San_tana:um, hello?

LemonBae: they’re gone all of a sudden?

KyuT: super sus

Hatchin♥: it says their online but idle?

Hatchin♥:  @Dia_Is_Unbreakable ,  @Glauc&Roll are you guys still around?

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: We’re still here, I just had to put my phone down real quick.

Glauc&Roll: so she could beat my ass

LemonBae: LOL WHAT

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: why didn’t you just tell me irl to stop kicking you?

Glauc&Roll: hadn’t thought of that

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: UGH 

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: I literally can’t stand your ass 

KyuT: but you’re literally at her house??

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: I know! Mistakes were made!

San_tana: #Brutal

Glauc&Roll: #Shooketh

LemonBae: #TheseJokesNeedToDieOutAlready

San_tana: #Never

Hatchin♥: #Never!

KyuT: LOL

Hatchin♥:Anyways, I’m so glad that we all met today! Welcome to our crazy little friend family, Dia and Glauc!

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Thanks so much! Thanks for having us!

Glauc&Roll: friend family?

Glauc&Roll: I actually really like the sound of that!

KyuT: right??

Hatchin♥: normally I’d stay and chat a bit longer, but Ellie and I are heading to bed now

Hatchin♥: good night everyone!

KyuT: love you guys!

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Love you guys, too!

Dia _Is_Unbreakable: <3

Glauc&Roll: good night! <3

LemonBae: night!!

San_tana: good night, you guys


	15. The Story She Never Knew

“C’mon, wake up already!” 

Dia stirred awake to Glaucon ripping the covers off of her. Still half-asleep, Dia latched onto her sheet and pulled it back over her. 

“Baby, don’t be like this!” Glaucon whined. “I gotta leave soon!” She was already dressed and ready. 

“What time is it?” Dia grumbled weakly. 

“7:45,” Glaucon replied as she opened up the blinds, letting in all of the morning sunshine.

“Excuse me, what?” Dia exclaimed. “No thanks sweetheart, but I’m going back to bed. “ Dia flopped over and pulled her sheet over her head. 

Glaucon groaned. “Okay, fine! You win.” She went into the kitchen to grab something before returning. She rummaged through Dia’s sleepover bag to find her keys. “You can stay as long as you want, and I’ll even give you my spare key in case you don’t wanna go home.” She hooked the apartment key onto Dia’s keychain and placed it onto the nightstand beside her. 

Dia pulled her sheet down and blinked at Glaucon in confusion. “Spare key? Wait, no - I'll get up. I was kinda joking…” She grumbled as she rubbed the sleep over her eyes

Just as she started to get up, Glaucon gently pushed her back down onto the bed and tucked her in with an extra blanket. “It’s okay, baby doll. Get your beauty rest- I’ll be back around one.”

“No, seriously!” Dia protested. “You don’t have to spoil me like this-”

“But I want to! You’re the only one I trust enough to do this for~” Glaucon whispered suggestively. “Gimme a kiss before I go!”

Dia did exactly that and watched her leave from her spot on the bed. She let out a deep sigh and blushed profusely. She thought about calling Frederick to help her calm down, but as she picked up her phone, she thought of a much more understanding friend to call.

“Hey, Ellie! Do you have time to talk?” Dia asked sweetly. 

“Dia!” Elise’s voice squeaked. “I always have time to talk to you, Team Mom!”

“You’re still keeping that joke alive?” Dia giggled. 

“Yup! But if you don’t like it, Maya and I were talking about calling you our big sister instead!”

Dia put a hand over her mouth and grinned. “That’s really cute, too! But anyway, listen to this! Remember how I was saying that I was sleeping over at Glaucon’s place?”

“Oh yeah! Did anything happen?” Elise lowered her voice and tried her best to hide her excitement. 

“Yes and no! Nothing that serious, not like what you’re probably thinking of. But this morning, Glaucon had to leave early. But instead of us leaving the house together, she literally said that I could sleep in and stay here. And get this! She even gave me a spare apartment key in case I didn’t want to go home.” 

Elise squealed. In the background, Dia could hear what sounded like Maya asking her what was going on.

“You’re kidding!” Elise’s voice seemed to be squeaking higher and higher.

“I can’t make this shit up, even if I wanted to!” Dia sighed with a smile. 

Elise took a deep breath to calm herself down. “ I hate to pry, but I gotta ask you! How do you feel about her?”

Dia shook her head. “I-I’m...really attached to her. I love her a lot, more than I think I even know! But everything is so complicated!”

“I’m listening.” The Octoling replied.

“Glaucon also might have a crush on one of her guy friends. Like, they’ve known each other for years. I wanna be a good friend, so naturally I’ve been encouraging her to try and feel things out with him. But like, there’s so much romantic tension between us! I love it, but I also can’t stand it! I feel so...guilty just thinking about it.”

“I have an idea!” Maya shouted from the background. The pink Octoling had been standing next to Elise to eavesdrop on the conversation. She took the phone from her sister’s hand and put it on speaker so they could both hear. “Sorry Dia-chan, but I was listening in!”

Dia giggled. “It’s fine! The more advice, the better! What were you going to say?”

“Why don’t you ask her to be your girlfriend?” Maya exclaimed innocently.

“WHAT?!” Dia gasped. Her heart was racing at this point. 

“Yeah, that’s perfect! “ Elise beamed. “ You should ask her sometime soon, before that boy steals her-”

“But what about-” Dia protested.

“Just come clean and tell her that you’ve liked her the whole time and that you weren’t being completely honest, and then take it from there!” 

Dia hung up the phone, much to the sisters’ dismay, to bury her face in her hands. Eventually, she grabbed one of the pillows and screamed into it. As much as she wanted to deny her feelings, she couldn’t help but notice how much the pillow she was holding smelled like the lavender squid in question, and how much that scent soothed her. She tossed the pillow aside and called Elise back.

“Sorry, I just got done freaking out over all of this.” Dia sighed heavily.

“That’s what we thought.” Elise cooed. “ Are you done now?”

“For now, yeah. And Ellie?”

“Yeah, what’s up?”

“I think I will ask her out.” Dia mumbled softly.

This answer was met with cheering and giggles from both the sisters on the other end. “ See, we have good ideas sometimes! Well, mostly Maya, but still!” Elise exclaimed. “You’ve got this girl, you just gotta be brave! When are you gonna do it?”

“Maybe today! I’ll go and surprise her over by the Lobby, and we’ll see what happens! I’ll let both of you know what happens afterward!”

“Good luck, Dia-chan!” The two Octolings squealed at the same time.

As Dia hung up the phone, her nervousness turned into a bizarre, unfamiliar confidence. She had no experience whatsoever with relationships, but for some reason, there was no doubt in her mind that today was going to go well. 

She changed into her lucky pink hoodie and hairpin and made some toast for breakfast. The blue Inkling began humming an old song from her childhood and practically danced out the front door and down to the train station. 

After what seemed to be an eternity, the train stopped at The Square, and Dia made a beeline towards The Lobby. Luckily, she saw Glaucon and the rest of Inkstrike leaving a match alongside their enemy team. Just as she was about to call out to her, she heard something that made her heart sink.

“Glac, “ Aiden said loudly as he took his teammate’s hand. All of the other elite Ink Athletes hanging in the Lobby looked on with excitement. Flint and Joshua held onto each other and grinned wildly. 

“Would you be my girlfriend?” He stammered, his cheeks burning up. The Lobby’s typically vibrant atmosphere became silent, as every cephalopod in the room waited eagerly for her response. 

“Um…” Glaucon looked around nervously. She recognized each and every one of the guys in her line of sight, as they were all elites whom which Aiden had been close with for work. Unfortunately, she didn’t notice Dia’s trembling figure in the corner before replying. “Of course I would!” 

The Lobby erupted into a roar of cheers. Aiden’s peers and other friends all ran over to him and clapped him on the shoulder and encouraged him.

“We’re so damn proud of you, boss!”

“You two are gonna be so happy!”

Flint and Joshua kissed each other and shouted with glee. “We’ve got a real power couple in here, y’all!” They exclaimed, causing the ruckus in the lobby to fever pitch. 

Glaucon stood to the side awkwardly and blushed profusely, putting her hand over her cheeks out of embarrassment. Dia took advantage of the chaos and silently left, taking the very next train back to the Wakame district. 

Back in her own apartment, she tossed her bag down carelessly, kicked off her shoes, and flopped face first into her bed. She wants to scream. She wanted to cry her lungs out. She wanted to break something. She wanted to go tell Aiden to fuck off and leave her girl alone. She wanted to do all of this at once, but she couldn’t bring herself to get up from her bed. Dia reached for her phone and opened up InkTube. She just wasn’t in the mood to listen to anything by Off the Hook right now. Instead, she found an old video of a song she used to enjoy as a kid. Although there were no official lyrics to the song, Dia quietly sang a few words of lyrics she wrote herself for it long ago. It was a futile attempt at trying to calm herself down.

“Let the never ending light of life shine bright inside you,

Let it be your guide to eternal happiness and love,

Oh, be gone,

The darkness and hatred that clouds up your heart,

And so, 

That’s why I dedicate this song to you.”

Finally, the tears began to roll down Dia’s cheeks. All of today’s emotions rode in on this old melody and crashed down on her at once. She sobbed silently, too exhausted to even cry out. She paused the video and wiped her face on her sleeve. 

“I wrote these lyrics for you, didn’t I?” Dia mumbled to herself. She looked up at the ceiling to properly address who she was talking about. “I wrote these so I could sing these to you, Yuki! But I can’t, and I never will, because you’re not with us anymore! Don’t you know how badly I need you right now? I need my brother, right now!” Dia’s tears flowed faster as her voice became louder and more hoarse. “If you were here, you would’ve told me to stop denying my feelings for her and actually tell her what I wanted. You would’ve told me that relationships are scary, but then you would’ve said that they’re worth it in the end and that I should stop being scared of them. If you were here-” Dia wheezed and stopped to catch her breath. “If you were here, I wouldn’t feel so alone right now!” She finally broke down and began to bawl her eyes out. She slapped her phone on her nightstand and crawled underneath the covers. 

About an hour or so later, Dia woke up from her much needed nap only to find a bunch of missed calls. One from Maya, two from Elise, and five from Glaucon. Dia rubbed her eyes with disbelief. Instinctively, she called Glaucon first and waited patiently for her to answer. 

“Hey, Glaucon. Sorry I-” 

“Oh my cod, you called back!” Glaucon exclaimed. “ Are you okay? I didn’t see you back at my place, and I figured you went home or went out. But I called you just to check up on you, and you didn’t call back, and I panicked a little. Sorry for-”

“Don’t apologize. “ Dia replied sternly. “I’m okay, and I’m honestly really happy that you did that for me. Thank you!”

“You mean a lot to me, girl! This is the least I could do!” Glaucon beamed. “Anyway, I’ve got news for you. Do you have time to talk?”

“Always!” Dia grabbed one of her many stuffed animals to hug, as she had a feeling about what was coming next. 

“Okay so…” Glaucon sighed. “Aiden and I are dating now, but it’s weird! First of all, when he asked me out, it did it in front of the whole Lobby. And everybody he knows, including Flint, Josh, and other elites that he hangs out with- they were all there!”

“He basically put you on the spot.” Dia nodded her head. 

“Exactly! Exactly!” Glaucon was fuming. “I couldn’t really say no, because I would’ve felt bad for embarrassing him like that in front of everyone! And another thing, he’s gotten really possessive after all that!”

“How so?” Dia asked as she walked into the kitchen to get some water. 

“He’s all like, ‘where are you’ and ‘who are you with’ every two seconds! Like jeez, we’ve literally only been dating for a few hours- calm down!” 

“That’s a little toxic…” Dia shook her head. 

“Right? I might dump his ass!” Glaucon grumbled. 

“Don’t be like that. “ Dia replied, clutching onto her plushie tighter and tighter. “Just tell him that it bothers you when he does that, and ask him to stop. Try and make it work for a little bit, and if it doesn’t, then start thinking about ending it. “ 

“You’re right, as usual!” Glaucon laughed. “Anyways, that’s the tea for today. Thanks for hearing me out, and for the advice!”

“It’s no problem, that’s what I’m here for!” Dia smiled. 

“Also, have you…” Glaucon stammered. “Have you been crying, baby doll? Your voice sounds so hoarse.”

Dia’s heart ached at the sound of her pet name. “ A little, yeah.” She replied quietly. “I just remembered something sad from my past, that’s all.”

“Do you want me to come over? I could get there in a few minutes!” 

“No, it’s okay! I’m pretty much over it, now!” 

“Okay,” Glaucon answered, her voice tinged with disappointment. “I’m sorry that I wasn’t there for you when you needed me.” 

A few silent tears began to roll down the blue Inkling’s cheeks. “It’s like I’ve told you before, you can’t always be there, Glaucon.”

“I love you, Dia.” Glaucon’s voice softened. 

“I’ll talk to you later.” Dia hung up the phone and sighed deeply. She shoved some fruit into her mouth before calling up the Octoling sisters. 

“Dia onee-chan?” Maya answered the phone. 

Dia couldn’t help but gasp with surprise at the sound of her new nickname. “Is that what’s happening now?”

“Yeah! You’re only a few years older than us, but you’re so mature and responsible, it’s nice to have someone we can look up to. “ The pink Octoling explained. “Hiro-chan is too scruffy, as much as I love her, and Kai-chan is too silly. So, it’s all you!”

“I love it!” Dia beamed. “I’m the youngest between my older sister and I, so this is a nice change!

“You have a big sister? Where is she now? Are you guys close?” Maya asked excitedly. 

“W-we grew apart. We haven’t talked in years.” Dia stuttered. “Anyways, can I talk to you a little bit? I tried calling Ellie, but she didn’t pick up. “

“She’s out working a Salmon Run shift with Kai. And yes, I have time to talk! I’ve actually been waiting all day to hear from you.”

“Thank you so much, Maya. “ She sighed and started her speal. “ Glaucon and Aiden, the boy that she liked- they’re dating now. He asked her as soon as I made it to the Lobby to go and ask her myself. I watched the whole thing happen.”

Maya could only reply with a gasp. 

“I didn’t know how to react, so I just left and came home. I basically cried myself to sleep, and I just woke up a few minutes ago. That’s why I missed you and Ellie’s calls. “ 

“Don’t-” Maya sighed. “ Don’t even worry about that. More importantly, are you okay?”

“For the most part. I just talked to Glaucon, and she called me to tell me what had happened. She didn’t see me there at the Lobby, so she didn’t know that I already knew. “

“How did that go?”

“She was worried about me! She was worried about me because I wasn’t at her apartment or answering her calls. That made me feel a little better. But then she told me about her new boyfriend, and started to complain about his annoying qualities and stuff. “

“And?”

“And I did the right thing and told her to work things out. I told her not to give up on the relationship so soon and to actually communicate with her boyfriend.”

“I-I don’t understand.” Maya stammered. “After all of this, how can you still act like you’re okay with this?”

“Because! It’s because it’s my fault for not being honest.” Dia sighed heavily. “I didn’t realize until recently how much I was in love with her because I kept denying it. I denied and denied because I was scared of getting into a relationship- scared of getting hurt, mostly. So, I kept telling myself that we were only friends, and that’s what I told her and everyone else too! And then that became the truth.”

A quiet sniffle came from Maya’s end of the line. “ You’ve been thinking about this a lot, haven’t you?” 

“Yeah. But thank you for listening and actually caring about me like this. “ Dia gushed. 

“Of course! We’re basically a family now, we’ve got to have each other’s backs!” Maya cooed. 

A smile spread across Dia’s face. “Family, huh? Even though we’re not technically related in anyway?”

“Ellie and I aren’t related, but she’s still very much my little sister!” Maya giggled. 

Dia gasped quietly. “You aren’t?”

“No, we’re not related by blood. We’ve just been through some hard times together. “ She explained. “Maybe I’ll tell you the whole story another day. But not now, you have to pull yourself back together!”

“Yeah, definitely! “ The blue Inkling cheered. “I’m gonna try and change myself a little bit after this whole mess. I’ll just use it as an excuse to grow a little.”

“Now that’s my big sister!” Maya exclaimed. “By the way, I’m going to make us a separate group chat for just you, me, and Ellie. I can see why you’re not comfortable talking to Kai and Hiro-chan about certain things. Let’s keep this Glaucon thing between us for a while!” 

“Sounds good! Thank you, Maya!” Dia hung up the phone and smiled. It was a miracle that she met the sisters when she did. She wasn’t alone, not anymore. 


	16. Voomy Sisters Chat <3

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: voomy??

Hatchin♥: woomy+veemo = voomy

KyuT: isn’t that super clever of her??

Dia_Is_Unbreakble: It really is! I would’ve never thought of that!

Hatchin♥: :3

Hatchin♥: Anyways, I got ellie updated on the drama, so she’s up to date

Hatchin♥: How are you holding up?

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: I’m doing much better

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Dinner came out good, and I started to write down my feelings and stuff

KyuT: Like, in a diary?

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Nah, more like in song lyrics

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Ever since I was a kid, I used to love writing my own song lyrics and stuff as a way to express myself

Hatchin♥: That’s really cool! And creative!

KyuT: I wish I could write, I suck at it….

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: You just need practice, that’s all!

Dia_Is_Unbreakble: Also, I’ve decided that I’m taking a break tomorrow

Hatchin♥: So no salmon run tomorrow?

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: No, sorry! I’m taking a personal day off for myself and my music!

KyuT: Sounds like a good plan though!

Hatchin♥: Right? This is what you need!

Hatchin♥: Oh wait, but tomorrow’s the first day of June??? Will you be okay money wise?

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: I’ve paid my june rent already, no worries! My landlord lets me do it early, thankfully!

KyuT: man, I wish!

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Lol, but I think I’m actually going to bed now

Hatchin♥: Good! Sleep heals all wounds!

KyuT: Then why don’t you let me sleep in more often??

Hatchin♥: Because sleep doesn’t pay the bills!

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: LOL

KyuT: you right

Hatchin♥: Good night, onee-chan! We love you!

KyuT: Love you Dia! <3

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Good night, I love you both!


	17. New and Improved

As Saturday morning rolled in, the baby blue Inkling woke up early enough to face the new day and take all of it in. Waking up at her alarm set for nine o’clock in the morning, Dia stretched as she got out of bed, feeling renewed from her restful sleep. She ran through her usual morning routine and got ready to leave. Just as she finished tying the laces on her Mawcasins, she noticed something shiny sitting on her coffee table. With a smirk, she held it in her hands and admired the little accessory- as it was Glaucon’s signature 18K Aviators. Thursday was so busy that she forgot to give them back! 

“I’m not gonna say that this is payback for everything, but it kinda is!” Dia giggled as she put them on. She looked at herself with her phone’s front facing camera only to be pleasantly surprised. “I like this look!” She decided before heading down to the train station.

Once again, Dia trekked her way down to the grungy parts of Inkopolis, the Shinkai district. With her bizarre confidence making its return, perhaps from the sunglasses, Dia strolled through the city streets with her head held high. Yet again, she headed to Fredericks’s house and rapped on the front door. 

“It’s Dia again! “ She shouted. 

A sleepy Frederick opened the front door to greet her, only to get distracted by her new accessory. 

“Hey, how- oh, my cod! How much did those run you?” Frederick gasped.

“Nothing, I stole them!” She declared as she waltzed into Frederick’s living room. “Anyways, I want you to have a look at this!” She opened up her signature notebook to a page labeled, “ _ Deadlock Rock  _ V2”. 

Fredrick stared at the book suspiciously before taking a look. “You know, I really loved the first version, but if it means so much to you, I guess I can take a look at his one. 

The purple studied the notebook intently, reacting quietly to each and every couplet of lyrics. Dia looked on nervously while tapping her foot. Once he was done, Frederick looked at Dia, then at the notebook, and then back to the notebook to again.

“You made it into a breakup song.” He stated. 

“Yeah, I did!” Dia said nervously.

“And I adore it.”

“Are you serious?” Dia asked, taken aback. 

“Dead serious!” Frederick closed the notebook and hugged it close to his chest. “Did something happen? Because honestly, it feels like another person wrote this version.”

“Um, yeah! I actually - “ 

“You don’t have to explain- this tells me everything I need to know. “ Frederick cut her off as he pointed to the notebook. “The first version was just about you wanting to get it on and overall trying to be sexy, but this! Oh, this version actually has a story to it! One that I would’ve never expected to hear from you!” Frederick gushed. “It’s different, it’s catchy as hell, and most importantly, I feel like you projected a lot more of yourself into this than you did before- am I right?”

Dia nodded her head silently. 

“I’m really proud of you ! “ Frederick took a seat next to his old friend. “You’re growing as an artist, and you haven’t even started yet! It’s the shit like this that makes me so hyped to work with you.”

“Hey Frederick?” Dia aked, her eyes liting up with a glimmer. 

“What’s good?”

“Let’s debut this sometime soon.” She declared. A spark was lit somewhere deep inside of her, and it burned hot with the Inkling’s ambitions. 

“How soon?” 

“Sometime this month!” 

“You’re insane.”

“Maybe, but I still want to go for it!” Dia whined. 

Frederick shook his head with a small grin on his face. He pulled out his phone to open up his calendar. 

“It should be a weekend, preferably a Friday, but we could do a Saturday, too. “ He began to explain. “I’ve been talking to the clubs around here and the ones by The Square, and they said that we’d have a better chance at being accepted in if we have a live band and not just.. not just…”

“Guitar samples?” Dia snickered.

“There ain’t nothing wrong with it…” Frederick muttered under his breath. “But here’s the thing! We it’s gonna be hard to recruit band members without a reputation, especially if we’re doing this some time this month. What do you wanna do, Dia? Audition without a band or haul ass and do some recruiting?” The purple Octarian sighed. 

Dia folded her arms and took a deep breath. She took a look around Fredrick’s cluttered recording studio before her gaze finally settled on a piece of junk in the corner. 

“Does that keytar work?” The baby blue Inkling asked as she pointed to it. 

“Keytar?” Frederick replied, taken aback from Dia’s non-answer. “What does that have to do with anything.”

Dia grabbed the dilaptated instrument and started playing with the keys. “It works!” She cheered before taking on a more serious tone. “With this, we’ve got a solution! We won’t have a full live band, but if at least one of us is playing an instrument instead of just you dj-ing, we should have a better chance, right?”

Frederick nodded aphrenhensively. “You’re right, and honestly- your idea is genius! But there’s one small problem.”

“Which is?”

“You suck at piano, remember. And guitar. So what makes you think that you can play keytar?” Fredrick snickered. “Remember that time I tried to teach you how to play my keyboard and you didn’t even make it to your first scale?”

Dia burst in a fit of laughter. “Okay, okay! You're right, but that was a good couple of months ago. Leave that shit behind and I’ll try and make a fresh start or something.”

“Nice reference. “ The Octoling pointed finger guns at his friend with a snicker. “But, you’re gonna have to haul ass if you wanna learn your instrument  _ and  _ debut this month.”

“I know! I re-wrote all of _Deadlock_ _Rock _yesterday, so I’m feeling pretty confident!” Dia beamed. “If you write me something easy to play, then I’ll learn just the composition and take it from there. “

Fredrick shrugged his shoulders and smiled. “Okay, fine! I’ll compose something real quick. I should finish it by tomorrow. For now, lemme see that piece of junk!”

Dia gasped. “Don’t call it that!” She whined. “This keytar is our ticket to fame- just like that broken piano that Marina wrote  _ Ebb and Flow  _ with!”

“Crazy fangirl.”

“I don’t wanna hear that from a guy who literally prays to his poster of Deadf1sh every morning!”

Fredrick’s face turned beet red. “I-I! I don’t do that anymore! I only-”

“Lemme guess, you only tell her “good morning” and “good night” now?” Dia jeered. 

“You’re so mean, stop it!” He complained. 

He took the keytar from Dia’s hands and immediately began to take off it’s back panel. He began to fiddle with the instrument- testing each key, removing and replacing the battery, and occasionally fastening a wire or two with electrical tape. Finally satisfied, he closed it up and handed it back to Dia. 

“It’s not perfect, but it should at least work. “ Fredrick explained. “Oh, and before I forget! I’m gonna try and get us into the Manta Ray’s Den.”

Dia’s expression lit up. “No way?!” She shouted. “You mean,  _ the  _ Manta Ray’s Den, where all of the elites hang out?”

“Yup!”

“I thought you said that it would be impossible for us as beginners?” She squealed. 

“Well, yeah! That’s still true. But, I feel like your entire vibe has changed.” Fredrick smiled warmly as his tone became softer. “You’re more confident, you’re more...bold all of a sudden. It’s actually contagious! I feel like things are gonna turn out well after seeing you now.” 

Dia blinked a few times in confusion. “I guess that makes sense. “ She grabbed her new keytar and slung it around her back, and waved to her friend. “I’m gonna get lost and start practicing. I’ll stop by tomorrow so we can run through the new lyrics and talk about the keytar lines, okay?”

Fredrick shouted back in agreement before Dia caught the next train back to the Wakame district. After a quick stop at a convenience store to grab some snacks before heading back to her apartment. She stuffed a red bean bun in her mouth and pulled up Inktube on her laptop. 

“Now…let’s see how Marina does it!” She mumbled to herself. The blue Inkling pressed the play button on a video of Off the Hook’s live performance of  _ Muck Warfare. _

“Aw, yes! The precursor to it all! I based a lot of  _ Deadlock Rock,  _ well, the first version anyways, on this song. ” She chuckled. Dia munched on her red bean bun and focused on the video intently, paying close attention to Marina’s hands as she jammed on her keytar. “Oh my god, I love this riff!” 

The baby blue inkling tried to recreate her idol’s playing, only to fumble with her hands, producing an electronic, chaotic mess of noise. Frustrated, she opened up a new tab and searched for an online tuner. 

“Maybe if I figure out what each key is and label it, we might get somewhere!” She explained to herself. She got up and grabbed some sticky notes, some scissors, and a pen to make little labels for the keys. Dia started from one end of the instrument, sounding out each note for the tuner to identify. Key by key, she eventually covered the keytar in little pieces of yellow sticky notes. 

“That’s that!” She sighed. “ Let’s try playing a scale.”

Apprehensively, she poked at the low C key a few times before working her way up the rest of the B flat scale. After a few more successful attempts, let out a cheer before lying back on her couch.

“I didn’t even make it this far before!” She beamed. “ But I’ve gotta try and improve on my technique! “ Dia rambled on. “ I can’t just poke at the keys with one finger, I need to use all five!”

Hours passed, and Dia’s apartment was filled with the sound of her keytar, tutorial videos, and a mixture of cheers and grumbles from the baby blue Inkling. Just as she was about to head off to bed and finally put down her new instrument, her phone began to ring. Since the ringtone this time was an 8-bit version of  _ Muck Warfare _ , Dia knew exactly who it was before answering.

“Hey, Fred!” She yawned. 

“Hey! You’re tired already?” The Octarian teased. 

“I’ve been slaving away at this keytar all day, I’ll have you know!” She whined. “ Anyways, what’s new?”

“I finished the keytar part!” Frederick cheered. “Are you hyped to see it? I’m really proud of how it came out!”

“Of course I’m hyped!” Dia grinned. 

“Oh, and that’s not all! I need to ask you two questions.”

“I’m listening.”

“One, you need a stage name. And two, we need a name for us.”

“Like a group name, which might be our soon-to-be band name too?”

“Exactly.”

Dia paused for a minute before coming up with something. “Let’s stick with the metal slash elemental theme! For me, how about Quicksilver? No, Lady Quicksilver!” She giggled. 

“I like, I like!” Frederick lauged. “Lady Quicksilver and DJ Cobalt, rockin’ the scene!”

“And as for our group name, how about something epic… how does Azoth sound?”

Frederick stopped to ponder the name before replying. “Woah, somebody’s putting all of her useless knowledge to good use again! Lemme guess, that has some cool meaning behind it, doesn’t it?”

Dia couldn’t hold back her pride. “Of course! Azoth is like this, magical, almighty substance that ancient alchemists sought after. Kinda like how you and I are going crazy to find our place in this industry, you know?”

“I couldn’t agree more. But this is perfect! When I start negotiating with the Manta Ray’s Den, imma give them our stage names and our new group name. Trying to break out with out real names won’t be nearly as fun.” Frederick explained.

“I like the sound of that! Anyways, I’m going to bed, so good night!” Dia hung up the phone and crawled into her bed. 

“I gotta at least do a few Turf Wars tomorrow!” She told herself with a giggle. “Nobody’s gonna want to see a broke diva perform! “ Warm and cozy, fell asleep with a big grin on her face.


	18. A New Relationship and an Old Flame

“Is something wrong, sweetie?” 

The sound of that pet name coming from his mouth caught Glaucon off guard, and snapped her out of her daydream. The pair had been dating for three weeks now, but it was hard for her to suddenly see him as her boyfriend after years of looking up to him as a mentor.

“Nothing’s wrong, h-honey.” She stammered. “I guess I’m just tired?”

“Did I keep you up last night?” The mint Inkling’s whispered as he winked at her. 

“Not at all!” Glaucon whispered back flirtatiously. “I just didn’t sleep all that well afterwards. “ 

“Well maybe you ought to stop eating so much at dinner time then! It might help you sleep better!”

Glaucon kissed her teeth. “ As much as I love you, my first love has been and will always be food, and you can’t separate us!”

Aiden laughed heartily before he kissed her on the cheek. He got up from his seat next to his girlfriend and walked across the Lobby to join Flint and some other the other elites hanging around. Glaucon smirked and checked her phone quickly. She held back a smile as she saw the text messages at the top of her lock screen. Everything was lined up, now all she had to do was to leave...somehow. 

“Hey Aiden~~” She strolled over to her boyfriend and hugged him from behind. “How much time do we have before the next match?” 

“An hour and a half. Plenty of time to relax, don’t you think?” Aiden replied as he put his hands over hers. “Do you wanna do something before then?”

“Actually, I think I’m gonna go meet up with a friend real quick at the cafe. I’ll be back before the match, okay?” Glaucon smiled sweetly.

Aiden’s expression darkened a bit. “Oh, okay! That’s cool.” He replied dryly. “Just be sure to come back, okay?” 

“You know I will, honey! I’ll see you then!” 

As Glaucon turned her back to Aiden and the others, she started to grumble to herself. She knew for a fact that he was talking shit about her to all of his guy friends. She knew for a fact that he was being so passive aggressive over such a seemingly normal thing. She knew about each and every one of his flaws. But yet she loved him regardless. Regardless of how fumingly mad he made her. This is what it means to be in a relationship, right?

Glaucon speedwalked out of the Lobby and made a beeline for the cafe. Waiting for her there was an Inkling with green tentacles who wasn’t Aiden. One who had slowly became her solace amongst all of her relationship troubles. 

“Hiroko-chan!!” The lavender squid shouted at her friend, causing all of the cafe’s patrons to stir from their peace and gawk at their favorite goofball.

“Don’t you fucking dare call me that again.” The green Inkling girl grumbled. 

“Don’t be such a meanie, Hiro -chan! You know I’m just-”

Her comment was interrupted by a swift kick to the shin underneath the counter. Hiroko glared at her intensely as she reeled in pain. 

“Only Maya is allowed to call me that, you know this!” Hiroko sighed. “You’re such a dumbass.”

“Oh my god, it feels like it’s been years since somebody’s called me that! It’s music to my ears!” Glaucon whined before burying her face into her hands. 

Hiroko and the brewmaster gave each other a puzzled look before they snickered Glaucon simultaneously.

“I’ve told you, I’m convinced that this one’s a masochist or something.” The brewmaster chuckled. 

“You’re absolutely right, Granny. And I honestly thought that you were joking, but I guess not!” Hiroko exclaimed. She put a gentle hand on Glaucon’s shoulder, prompting her to explain herself. 

“I’m actually not. It’s just that-” She sniffled a little bit as she tried not to tear up. “It’s just that Dia would always make fun of me like that whenever we hung out. Whenever I said something corny, she would get all flustered and start cussing me out!” 

“So it’s just a positive association, and nothing else?” Hiroko asked before taking a sip of her black coffee. 

“Yeah, sure! “ Glaucon chuckled. “But anyways, lemme just get something real quick, then we can get into it. Hey, Granny!” She called to the brewmaster. “Can I get-”

“Sweet algae latte? “ She finished her sentence. “ It’s almost done! I got it started as soon as you walked in. “ The elderly Inkling added the foamed milk to the top of the drink and gingerly placed it down of Glaucon. 

“You’re the best, Granny!” Glaucon beamed. She took a sip of her coffee and nearly let out a cheer. It tasted just as good as she remembered it the first time. 

“Are you good?” Hiroko jeered. She impatiently tapped her fingers on the counter as she waited for the lavender squid to get the conversation started.

“I am now!” Glaucon replied, renewed with the flavor of nostalgia. “So… have you heard from Dia? She’s kinda been avoiding me! The last time I talked to her, she didn’t say ‘I love you’ back! That shit’s been eating at me for a while now!” 

“She’s just been giving you space now that you have a boyfriend, right?” Hiroko replied, being careful about her word choice. She knew for a fact that Maya would give her a proper scolding later if she didn’t handle her end of the drama management properly. 

“Okay sure! But that’s no reason to ignore our relationship!” Glaucon grumbled. “We used to hang out at least a few times a week, but now everytime I invite her out, she turns me down!” Hiroko only nodded in response, causing Glaucon to continue her rant. “ I love that girl so much, you know? I hate not seeing her for this long! I miss her so much!”

“You love her?” Hiroko asked. She smirked a little, now that she was getting somewhere. 

Glaucon let out a huge sigh. “ You know how we first met right? It was here, and I started hitting on her. She said that we should just be friends instead, and that’s how we started hanging out and stuff. But Hiroko, you know what?” The lavender squid lowered her voice and leaned closer to the green squid. “I still loved her, even after she turned me down twice. I kept trying to drop hints and every now and then to let her know that I’m ridiculously in love with her, but I guess she, I dunno, misinterpreted them as me just being a friend?”

“Like?” 

Glaucon’s face flushed bright red. “Like….I asked her if she ever wanted to fuck, that I’d be down to for-”

The lavender squid was interrupted by Hiroko nearly choking on her coffee. Once she swallowed it down, she coughed a few times and silently started cracking up laughing. She gestured with her hand for Glaucon to keep going as she tried to regain her composure. 

“I actually said that, by the way! And she said that she was cool with the idea!” She whispered a little louder. “And other than that, there was stuff like having her sleep with me in my bed that one time she stayed over, giving her a key to my apartment- you get the point.” Glaucon sighed.

“And you think she misinterpreted all that?” Hiroko coughed, finally getting herself calm again.

“It’s possible! I mean, she did say that she doesn't have any experience with dating!” 

Hiroko rolled her eyes. “Glaucon, you dumb bitch. Listen up for a second.” The green squid lowered her voice and raised her eyebrows. “I’m pretty damn sure that Dia was into you. “

“How can you be sure?!”

“Actions speak louder than words. “ Hiroko snickered. “Yeah, she turned you down, but the way she acted around you said something different. It’s just like what Ellie pointed out in the group chat, you and Dia honestly acted like a couple.”

“We really did, didn’t we? Glaucon sighed even heavier. “I always told her how much I loved her, and just hearing her say it back to me got me so damn excited! I wish I was more upfront about it, but at the same time, I was scared that she would push me away for good if I got too flirty. Like, when we had our first kiss, it was Dia who started it, not me, ‘cuz I thought it would make her more comfortable that way! Am I making sense?”

“Perfect sense.” Hiroko’s tone and expression softened as she listened intently. “By the way, how are things with your boyfriend?”

“Good! To be honest, a little too good.” Glaucon wrapped her hands around her coffee mug and stared into the foam. “He takes me out to all of these fancy restaurants, he spends all of his free time with me, and he’s basically got our wedding planned right down to the menu. “ 

“Wow, what a gentleman.” Hiroko said dryly as she rolled her eyes. “You  sound so happy together. “ 

“Oh, shut up!” Glaucon laughed. “He treats me well, it’s just that...I’m not a hundred percent sure if he’s the one I wanna spend my life with. Sure, he’s good for me and loves me very much, but I just don’t, what’s the word….’click’ with him? I have no reason to leave him either, so it’s almost like I’m stuck with him. “

“You could just cheat on him, and I’m more than sure that he could end it for you!” Hiroko declared coldly. 

“I could, and I probably should! But I love him, Hiroko. Things aren’t that simple. I wish he didn’t put me on the spot when he-”

Glaucon was interrupted by a sound she hadn’t heard in weeks.  _ Bomb Rush Blush  _ blared out from her speakers, signaling that a phone call was coming from the squid she had been longing to hear from. 

“It’s Dia!” Glaucon squealed. 

“Answer it, answer it! “ Hiroko cheered. 

Glaucon fumbled with her phone out of excitement before finally answering. 

“Baby doll?”

“Hey sweetheart, it’s me!” Dia’s melodic voice rang out from the other end. Glaucon was in heaven- things finally felt right again. 

“I’ve literally missed you so much, girl! How have you been?” Glaucon gushed. 

“I’ve been doing amazing, actually! I’m sorry I haven’t been around much, but let’s fix that!” Dia exclaimed. “Are you busy this Friday night?” 

Glaucon’s heart skipped a beat. “No, I don’t think so?” She glanced over a Hiroko, who was grinning wildly. “Do you wanna hang out?”

“Yeah! I’m gonna ask the other girls to come too, but do you wanna come down to the Manta Ray’s Den around nine?”

Glaucon could barely hold back her excitement. “Yeah, that sounds amaze! But I’m surprised, I never knew you that you were into clubbing and stuff!”

“Well, I can’t say I’m all that experienced. But, it’s summer! I feel like trying something new!” Dia giggled. 

“I’m excited already! Oh, and Dia?”

“Yeah, sweetheart?”

“I love you so much, and I can’t wait to see you again!”

There was a small pause before Dia’s reply of, “I love you, too!”

As she hung up the phone, Hiroko’s eyes shimmered with intrigue. Glaucon gave her a fist bump and grinned from ear to ear. 

“Going clubbing with your bae? Aren’t you lucky?” Hiroko laughed. 

“Hell yeah!” Glaucon pumped her fists in the air. “She’s gonna invite the rest of our crew too, so it’s gonna be a good time for sure!”

“Okay, sure…” Hiroko grumbled. “That sounds nice and all, but there’s going to be a small problem.”

“Eh? What’s wrong?” Glaucon asked curiously. 

“If she’s going to mention it in the group chat, you’ll find out soon enough.” Hiroko shrugged. “Also, isn’t time you started heading back?”

Glaucon checked the time on her phone and gasped. “Oh my cod, I’m cutting it close!” The lavender squid gulped down the rest of her latte and left the money on the counter. “Thanks Hiroko, I’ll be sure to jump in the group chat later. “

With a renewed energy in her step, Glaucon raced back into the Lobby and returned to her squad and boyfriend, despite her mind being somewhere else. 


	19. Lovely Ladies Chat~!

Dia_Is_Unbreakable:  @everyone Hey you guys, are you all doing anything this Friday night?

Glauc&Roll: nah fam, I’m totally free!

Hatchin♥: Ellie and I probably won’t be doing much!

KyuT: totally free~

San_tana: I’m going ham at some Ranked matches in the morning, but I should be done by dinner time

LemonBae: I’m free too! 

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: do y’all wanna come hang out at the Manta Ray’s Den around 9?

LemonBae: EXCUSE ME

LemonBae: You mean that high end ass club where all the rich squids hang out??

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Yup! 

LemonBae: GIRL YOU A HIGH ROLLER

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Lmaoooooo

Glauc&Roll: Ive been before

Glauc&Roll: As long as you act natural and don’t panic, you’ll have a good time 

KyuT: um

Hatchin♥: uh, we’d love too!

San_tana: same, but we can’t

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: omg, why not?

LemonBae: cuz you and glauc are the only ones old enough to get in

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: ????

Glauc&Roll: ?????

Glauc&Roll: how old are you guys???

San_tana: I just turned 17

LemonBae: I’m 19, so maybe i could risk it

Hatchin♥: Ellie and I are only 16

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: we’ve known each other for how long and we’ve never asked???

KyuT: age isn’t important when it comes to friendship, lol

San_tana: that’s valid

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Well damn, that sucks! I really wanted everyone to come though!

Hatchin♥: Maybe we could!

Hatchin♥: Hiro-chan, we could ask them to pull a few strings or something

San_tana: they would do it, especially if you’re the one who asks, maya

Hatchin♥: True!

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Just don’t get yourselves in trouble!

LemonBae: We’ve got good connections, don’t you worry

LemonBae: And besides, if that doesn’t work, we could just sneak in

Glauc&Roll: omfg no

LemonBae: both maya and ellie got giant tits, nobody would card them at the door

Hatchin♥: !!!

KyuT: !!!!

San_tana:oh my fucking god, shut up Kai

LemonBae: Am I wrong???

San_tana: well you sure ain’t right!!!

Glauc&Roll: even if she is right, what are you gonna do Kai?

Glauc&Roll: the bouncers would take one look at your flat ass chest and send you home with a juice box

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: OOF

Hatchin♥: I gotta admit, she’s right!

KyuT: Glaucon comes in clutch!

San_tana: serves you right, you perverted shrimp

LemonBae: I DONT DESERVE THIS

KyuT: wait, don’t rage quit just yet

Hatchin♥: So is that a yes for all of us teenagers to pull some strings on friday?

KyuT: all in favor?

LemonBae: aye, yeah!

San_tana: hai

KyuT: aye!

Hatchin♥: Perfect! Looks like we’re all hitting the town together! 

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Yay!!

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: I’m so hyped right now!

Glauc&Roll: same!!

Glauc&Roll: I can’t remember the last time I went dancing, omg

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: we gotta dance together at least once, sweetheart!

Glauc&Roll: yasss baby doll!

San_tana: :)

LemonBae: ;)

Hatchin♥: XD

KyuT: you two are so cute, oh my god

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: :3

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Anyways, I gotta head off to bed. I’ll see you guys on Friday!

Hatchin♥: Good night, onee-chan!

KyuT: love you, Dia onee-chan!

Glauc&Roll: (wut?)

LemonBae: (I have no clue either)

San_tana: good night dia


	20. Shopping Trips and Sleepovers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all~ It's been like, a couple decades since I last uploaded but I've got good news! I've finally finished this beast of of a fanfic (thanks quarantine for the free time), so now I can finally upload the rest for you guys!
> 
> Also, this chapter's a ton of fun~~

“Dead, dead, deadlock!” Frederick shouted from his turntables. The practice session came to a climactic end, and the two musicians shared a look of pure enthusiasm. 

“Aw, hell yeah!” Dia cheered as she jumped up in the air. She took a swig of her iced tea and took a seat on Frederick’s couch. 

“I don’t know what the hell you did, but you’ve become an absolute monster with that thing.” The Octarian grinned and pointed toward Dia’s keytar. 

Dia giggled and hugged her instrument. “It’s because I’ve dedicated my time and effort into really getting to know Mercury! And now, we have a happy, loving relationship!” 

“I can’t believe you named it.”

“Mercury is a her, not an it!” Dia pouted. She lovingly stroked the keys and laughed at her own antics. “But seriously, you’re right! I didn’t think I had it in me to actually get decent!”

“And I didn’t think we had it in us to get into the Manta Ray’s Den, but we did!” The musicians cheered and gave each other a high five. 

“I’m literally so hyped!” Dia beamed. “Oh, and by the way? Do you know what your wearing?”

“Um…” Frederick paused and scratched his head. “Something black?”

“Obviously! We already agreed on the color a couple days ago!” Dia grumbled. “I mean like, do you know what you’re actually wearing?”

“Nah…” He admitted. “I’m tempted to show up in this hoodie and jeans. “ Frederick sighed. He glanced over at Dia to be met with an intense glare. He quickly changed his tone. “I’m joking! I’ll probably wear like, my vest and tie with some nice pants. What about you?”

Dia pulled out her phone and found the selfie she took recently. “Here it is! It’s like, this off the shoulder dress that’s shorter in the front and longer in the back.” She explained as she held her phone out to show him. “I have a pair of black heels it to go with it, but I’m too sure about them.”

“What other shoes did you have in mind?” Fredrick yawned, fighting off the last bit of drowsiness that came with being up this early.

“My black platform boots!” She giggled. 

“Do it!”

“Yeah, they’ll be more comfortable anyway! Oh! And I could wear my fishnet stockings with them to tie it all together!” Dia gushed. 

“There ya go! “ Fredrick gave her a weak smile. “This is so weird, huh? We’re going out to a club as guests, but we’re also performing?”

“Weird, but I love it!” Dia grabbed her keytar and zipped it up back into its case. “I’m heading out now, Fred. I’m gonna try and relax before tomorrow so I’ll be ready.”

“Sounds good!” Frederick replied. “We got a lot done today, practice wise today! I think we’re ready, for sure!” 

With a grin, Dia left her friend’s place and headed for the Square. With her beloved Mercury slung across her back and Glaucon’s shades resting on her face, she bought herself some bubble tea and enjoyed the blazing heat of late June. Most cephalopods were reeling from the heat, but the blue Inkling was loving every minute of it. 

Just as she stopped by a bench to take a quick break, Dia spotted a gaggle of four girls out of the corner of her eye. They were loud, rambunctious, and heading into a nearby clothing shop together. Dia smirked. She got up from her seat and quietly followed them, wondering how long it would take them to notice her. Dia busied herself with the jewelry display while eavesdropping in on the girls’ conversation- waiting for the perfect time to jump in. 

“What do you wear to a club, anyways?” Maya sighed. 

“Something hot, obviously!” Kai giggled. “The more skin you’re showing, the better!” 

“You have fun with that…” Hiroko groaned as she turned her attention to a skirt off to the side. She glanced over her shoulder to spot a flash of blue, and smirked to herself. 

“Look at this, you guys!” Elise exclaimed, holding a coral colored dress up to her body. “This is so Maya!” 

“Or even Dia-chan, to be honest!” Her sister replied with a giggle. 

“Oh, really, lemme see!” Dia emerged from behind the display, getting a rise out of the other girls. Hiroko started snickering to herself as she made her way back to the group.

“Oh, you’re such a creep! How long have you been there!” Kai rambled on, not stopping to take a breath at all. 

“Only a few minutes now. “ Hiroko explained. She turned to face Dia and gave her a smile. “You probably saw us coming, didn’t you?” 

“Of course I did!” Dia giggled. “I saw you guys walking in, so I decided to come see what you were all up too!”

“Well, we’re trying to find something to wear tomorrow.” Elise replied. “I don’t own a lot of club clothes, and I don’t think anyone else does either!” She laughed sheepishly. 

“Well, obviously not! We’re all still innocent little girls, after all!” Kai jeered. 

The five girls chatted and looked around eagerly, occasionally stopping to point things out or try a few pieces on. Eventually, the younger ones all grew attached to an outfit or two while Dia mostly stuck to looking at accessories. 

“I adore this choker!” Maya beamed as she took a look at what Dia was carrying. It was a silver and black choker adorned with a treble cleff. “And what… what is that, onee-chan?” Maya’s face burned bright red as she noticed the strappy, lacey garments in Dia’s other hand. 

Kai took one look at the item and snickered. “Is that some kinda BDSM gear or something?” She erupted in a fit of laughter, only to be slapped by Hiroko almost immediately. 

Dia furrowed her eyebrows. “Um, no! It’s a garterbelt set, and it’s used to hold up stockings!” She scoffed. “Oh my cod, you’re worse than Glaucon- at least she has a filter. “ Dia’s eyes traveled to the yellow squid’s chest suddenly. 

“What? My eyes are up here!” She jeered. 

“Oh, it’s nothing. I just realized that she was right. You really are flat as an ironing board. “ Dia replied calmly. 

With this comment, Kai pretended to faint and landed in Elise’s arms. “What did I do to deserve such humiliation?!” She exclaimed dramatically. 

Hiroko groaned loudly. “C’mon, let’s go pay and leave her ass behind.” The green Inkling speedwalked away, with the other girls following suit. 

Back outside, the five girls laughed and messed around in the Square for hours until the sun started to set. As they all said their goodbyes, the Octoling sisters and Dia began to walk to the same platform at the train station, the one heading for the Wakame district. 

“You guys live there, too?” Dia asked curiously. 

“Yeah, we do! “ Maya exclaimed. “We live down the street from the fountain!”

“I live across from the convenience store, so that’s kinda close. We’re kind of neighbors and we didn’t even realize!” 

“Hey, if that’s the case, do you wanna sleep over tonight?” Elise blurted out. 

Dia paused and blinked a few times in confusion. “Huh?” She replied weakly, taken aback.

“That’s a good idea! That way, we can all get ready together when we head to the Manta Ray’s tomorrow!” Maya nodded her head in agreement. “What do you think, onee-chan? She smiled sweetly as she looked up to the blue Inkling.

“Um, sure! We’d just have to stop by my place first so I could grab a few things.” She giggled. The sisters cheered in agreement. 

With Dia’s overnight bag in tow, the three girls arrived at Maya and Elise’s townhouse. As the sister’s dragged her by the hands to come inside, Dia couldn’t help but marvel at their home. How much was this costing them a month? How could they afford such a prime property in the best part of the district?

“Welcome to our house! “ Elise squealed. “Sorry if it’s a little messy, though!” The orange Octoling passed her Dia a juice box and sat down on their large couch. She patted the cushion next to her, beckoning Dia to come sit down as well. 

“Are you guys hungry?” Maya shouted from the kitchen. “We have a ton of leftover salmon and rice from yesterday, if you want!” 

“Yes, please!” Dia and Elise shouted back. 

Elise grabbed the tv remote and casually started flipping through the channels. Dia continued to look around, and couldn’t help but notice that there wasn’t a single air conditioner unit installed in any of the windows, only the low humming of a fan overhead. This townhouse had a central air system? 

Maya entered the living room with two plates of poached salmon and wild rice and handed them to the other two. Dia and Elise waited until the pink Octoling returned with her own plate before they all began to chow down. Afterwards, once the dishes were washed, Elise ran upstairs to her room to grab something while Maya scooted closer to Dia. She changed the channel and put it on a reality show, getting a chuckle out of Dia. 

“Inkopolis’ Graffiti Queens?” She laughed. “I haven’t seen this in years!” 

Maya giggled back and rested her head on Dia’s shoulder. Dia put her arm around the Octoling, and the two of them stayed like that until Elise came running back down the stairs. Her arms were full of nail polish bottles, acetone, and cotton pads. She carefully set everything down on the coffee table.

“It wouldn’t be a sleepover without us doing something girly like this!” She exclaimed, causing Maya to roll her eyes. 

“I’m so bad at painting my nails, but I guess I’ll try again?” She shrugged her shoulders before giving her sister a tiny smile. “I want this one!” She reached across the table to grab a bottle of an iridescent, pearl pink color. 

The three girls sat on the carpet around the coffee table and got to work on decorating their nails. Maya kept it simple, and painted her nails with only the pink color that she picked out earlier. Dia decided on a silver and gold theme, painting her ring fingernails gold while painting the rest silver. Elise, on the other hand, eventually ran back up to her room to break out her nail art tools. Nail vinyls, dotting tools, liquid latex, and even makeup sponges littered the already cluttered coffee table. 

“I’m not sure what design I should make, though!” Elise grumbled as she looked over all of her tools. 

“That’s because you have too many ideas!” Maya burst into laughter. 

“Well, let’s just stick with a few colors. “Dia brushed aside most of the nail polish bottles, leaving mostly the greens and blues. “Your dress is that deep green color, right?”

“Yup!” Elise replied as she reached for similar color of nail polish. 

“It really brings out her eyes, don’t you think?” Maya beamed. 

“Absolutely~!” Dia answered with a grin on her face. “Do a gradient with white, that color, and maybe this lime color in the middle.” She started to pass a few bottles of nail polish over to her. 

With a plan in mind, the nail artist got to work. She applied the liquid latex around her nails and began to prepare the sponges with nail polish for making the gradient. About twenty minutes later, Dia and Maya both marvelled at the finished product. The edges of the gradient were seamless, and the stark contrast in the shades of green were stunning. 

“You gotta teach me how to do this one day, for real!” Dia gushed. 

Elise chuckled and admired her handiwork. “It’s not that hard! You just gotta have some patience!” 

With their nails done and the final layer of glossy top coat dry, the three girls cleaned up the mess they made and started getting ready for bed. The sisters each took their showers first, leaving Dia to take her shower last. Unlike at her apartment, the sisters’ bathroom had a clawfoot bathtub in addition to having a shower head above. It was just too tempting not to try it out. 

Dia drew herself a bubble bath (which happened to smell like bubblegum, thanks to a bottle of soap which could only belong to Elise) and climbed into the tub. She let out a satisfied grumble and stretched out lazily. She scooped up a handful of the soap suds and rubbed them in her hands with a giggle. Her bathtime bliss was interrupted by the younger Octoling opening the door, causing Dia to sink down into the bath, her expression melting into one of embarrassment. She instinctively covered her chest with her arms. 

“Dia! You’re sleeping in my room tonight, not Maya’s! “ She exclaimed with a scowl, and put her hands on her hips. 

“H-huh? What are you-” Dia stammered. She prayed that this awkward moment would hurry up and end. 

“She can sleep wherever, Ellie! It’s not fair that you’re getting to pick for her!” Maya shouted back from a distance, most likely from her own room. 

“Well, it was my idea that she should come over, not yours!” Elise yelled back. She leaned up against the wall by the bathtub before Dia reached her limit.

“Um, Ellie?” Dia stuttered.

“Yeah, onee-chan?”She replied innocently. 

“C-could you maybe let me finish my bath alone, please?”

“Oh, sorry!” Elise giggled, finally leaving the bathroom and closing the door behind her. 

Dia sighed a huge sigh of relief as she uncrossed her arms. She laughed a little to herself before draining out the bathwater. It was a strange feeling to be fought over like this, but it wasn’t all that bad. She changed into her pink nightgown before realizing what she forgot. 

“Ugh, I forgot the shorts!” She mumbled under her breath. Her face flushed at the idea, but she would just have to make do with just her panties underneath her nightgown. She then opened the bathroom door to find the two sisters waiting in the hallway for her. 

“So, who’s room are you gonna stay in tonight?” Elise asked, her voice squeaking with excitement. 

Maya gave her sister a grumpy look before addressing Dia. “Well, I wouldn’t feel right to give the couch, and as you can see, our rooms are pretty big and spacious. “ She glanced back at her room, and gave her a sheepish smile. 

“Um, I think I’ll stay in Ellie’s room -” She began.

“Yay!” Elise cheered, cutting her off. 

“But I think all three of us should sleep together.” Dia smiled sweetly. 

Maya’s eyes shimmered with gratitude and affection. “You’re so kind, onee-chan! You’re giving Ellie what she wants and also including both of us!” She beamed. 

The Octoling sisters took each of Dia’s hands and walked her into Elise’s bedroom. The younger sister’s room was like any typical teenage girl’s room. It was covered with boy band posters, jewelry dishes filled to the brim with her accessories, and pictures of her and her friends, all hanging on decorative ribbons by tiny clothespins. 

The three girls settled into Elise’s princess-style canopy bed. Dia couldn’t help but get a little giddy as the two sisters began to cuddle up with her. As the blue Inkling laid flat on her back, Elise made herself comfortable and laid her head on Dia’s stomach while Maya planted her head into Dia’s breasts. The three cephalopods didn’t head to sleep immediately, as they stayed up and chatted together while messing around on their phones. Just as Dia was about to open Coralgram, she received a text from someone who she hadn’t messaged in weeks. With a huge grin on her face, Dia typed up a reply.


	21. ♪Coffee Friends Chat♪

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spicyyyyyyyyyy

Glauc&Roll: heyyy baby doll

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: heyyyyyy

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: what are you still doing up?

Glauc&Roll: watching my boyfriend sleep, lmaooo

Glauc&Roll: he goes to bed way too early

Glauc&Roll: what about you?

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Omfg, be you’re gonna be so jealous

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Guess who I’m cuddling with rn!

Glauc&Roll: Lol, is it ellie?

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Yeah, and??

Glauc&Roll: OMG MAYA TOO

Glauc&Roll: you right, I’m so jealous right now!!!

Glauc&Roll: how did you get so lucky????

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: I ended up going clothes shopping with the girls earlier, and I found out that the sisters live like, a few minutes away from my place

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Ellie got excited and said that I should sleep over, so here I am!

Glauc&Roll: damn

Glauc&Roll: i wish i could trade places with you right now!

Glauc&Roll: how is it though?

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: oh my god XD

Dia_Is_Unbreakable:They’re so freaking cute

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: I love them so much, I can’t even!

Glauc&Roll: same!!

Glauc&Roll: you know who else I love?

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: here we go again, lol

Glauc&Roll: You! I love you baby, you’re my best girl!

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: I love you too, but isn't that a little weird now? I feel like I’m disrespecting Aiden every time I say that back!

Glauc&Roll: Dia, omg

Glauc&Roll: I love Aiden so much, and he loves me too!

Glauc&Roll: But nothing will ever change how much I love you, girl! Just because I’m dating Aiden doesn’t mean that my love for you will go away!

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Sweetheart, oh my god

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: That’s the most beautiful thing I think you’ve ever said to me!

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Well, if that’s true, we gotta make up for lost time

Glauc&Roll: oh?

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: I LOVE YOU SO MUCH 

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: <3 <3 <3

Glauc&Roll: omfg, i’m in heaven

Glauc&Roll: I love you, bitch

Glauc&Roll: I ain't never gonna stop lovin you, bitch!!

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: !!!

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: I know this sounds hella weird, but can you call me a bitch irl?

Glauc&Roll: um, really?

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Um, yeah! Reading that coming from you made me get really...excited all of a sudden???

Glauc&Roll: did i make you horny, dia? ;)

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Fuck off, omfg

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Yeah, you did!!

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: And it sucks, cuz I can’t even do anything about it rn with the girls on top of me

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: I can’t even cross my legs……

Glauc&Roll: LMAOOO

Glauc&Roll: i guess this is revenge for all the times that’s happened to me whenever I would text you

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: You’re horrible

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: And too stupidly hot for your own good!!

Glauc&Roll: ;)

Glauc&Roll: wait a sec

Glauc&Roll: what do you mean, “do something about it”?

Glauc&Roll: what would you be doing if you were in your room by yourself???

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: OMG STOP

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: It’s getting worse now….

Glauc&Roll: I bet you’re so nice and moist now

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Shut up, omfg!!!!

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Good night, you asshole! I’ll see you tomorrow night, though!

Glauc&Roll: good night baby doll <3


	22. Makeup, Massages, and a Cute Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Omfgggggg I had been dying to write this scene ever since Glauc started dating Aiden- it was just so cute~~~! Also I think I was watching a ton of makeup tutorials irl when I wrote this???

Glaucon awoke on the Friday morning, tangled up in Aiden’s arms. Today was one of the rare days where she had woken up before her boyfriend. Perhaps last night’s session had worn him out more than usual? She glanced over at the empty box of condoms tossed aside on the nightstand and groaned. 

“Of course we’re out again!” She muttered to herself and face-palmed. “This is the third time this month I”ve had to buy more.”

The voice of his girlfriend caused the mint Inkling to stir awake. He gave his arms a stretch and pulled her in closer. “ Mornin’, sweetheart.” He whispered warmly. His face lit up with joy as he began to take in Glaucon’s presence. 

Glaucon’s heart flinched. That pet name just didn’t sound right at all coming from him. She couldn’t muster up the strength to tell him, though. 

“Hey, honey!” She whispered back. 

The couple eventually woke up and began to get ready for the day. Glaucon sat on a barstool in Aiden’s kitchen as he began preparing breakfast. She looked on lazily while she let her mind wander. The mint Inkling cracked open a few eggs and glanced over his shoulder at her. 

“You excited for the movie, later?” Aiden’s gentle voice filled the room.

“Hyped! But first, we gotta go shopping.” Glaucon sighed. “We blew through the condoms again.”

Aiden snickered. “Well, it was bound to happen! I just hope that I’m keeping up with you in bed.” His voice trailed off.

“Of course you are! I would tell you if I wanted to fuck more, you know!” Glaucon grinned. “Don’t feel like you run yourself ragged!”

Aiden’s face flushed. “W-well, you’re really into sex, and I wanna be sure I’m giving you what you want…” 

Glaucon giggled. “You’re honestly just fine! You’re the best boyfriend ever, remember!” 

Aiden grinned as he handed her a plate of scrambled eggs and toast. The couple ate together while holding hands. After Aiden finished washing their empty plates, the pair left his apartment and walked down to the Square. 

“Sweetheart,” Aiden began, as he laced his fingers with the lavender squid. “I wanted to ask you something.” He started to walk a little slower.

“Of course!” Glaucon replied, gripping his hand a little tighter.

“When do you wanna move in?”

Glaucon’s chest became heavy. She was really hoping that he’d drop the idea sometime soon, but he was just as stubborn as she was. “I’m not ready yet, Aiden. I don’t-”

“When will you be?” He pushed, softening his gaze to try and put her at ease. 

“I don’t know! I-I… I just haven’t really thought about it, and the idea is…” Glaucon trailed off, desperately searching for the right thing to say. 

Aiden sighed heavily. “I thought you were serious about us, sweetheart? I am! I’ve always been serious about you, long before we even started dating!”

“O-o-of course I’m serious!” Glaucon stuttered back. “I’m just… not ready, okay? My apartment is the first place I’ve lived on my own, and I’m not ready to leave it behind!”

Aiden rolled his eyes and sighed. “I get it, I get it.” He replied dryly. “Lemme ask you a better question. Would you wanna go on a vacation some time this year?”

Glaucon eyes shimmered with delight. “Would you really?"

“For you, of course I would!”

Glaucon hugged him tightly. “Then let’s do it! I just don’t know where I”d wanna go!”

“We’ll figure that out together.”

The couple exchanged a look of mutual excitement before entering the theatre together. 

“Oh my cod, you need to stop!” Dia nearly screamed as she laid back on Elise’s bed. Her face flushed beet red, and looked away, hoping that the younger girl wouldn’t notice. 

“Stop being such a big baby, this is gonna help you last longer tonight!” Elise giggled.

“ELLIE I SWEAR TO COD, STOP IT!” 

“NEVER~!” 

“What is happening??!” Kai face-palmed as she looked up the stairs from the townhouse’s living room. She looked over at Maya on the other side of the couch expectantly. “Nothing illegal, I hope?”

“Ellie’s giving onee-chan a foot massage!” Maya replied innocently. Hiroko snickered, and Kai’s face became a little pale. 

“In her bedroom? Are you sure about that, Maya-chan?” Kai protested. 

“Yup!” Maya nodded her head with a giggle. “You should ask her for one, too! It’ll help you last longer on the dance floor~!”

The Octolings’ home became twice as lively as it was yesterday. With Hiroko and Kai over now to spend the day, the townhouse became cluttered with pizza boxes, broken off tags from the new clothes, and various cosmetics from each of the five girls own collections. 

“What is this?” Hiroko grumbled as she pulled something from Maya’s makeup bag.

“That’s a contour kit!” She replied back. Hiroko gave her a puzzled look. Maya giggled. “It’s okay, Hiro-chan! I forgot that you’re not too into makeup.”

“I literally only wear foundation and concealer, like twice a year if at all!” The green Inkling snickered. 

Kai yawned and pulled out her phone. “So anyways, its nearly six, and Glaucon still isn’t here yet? Did we give her the wrong address, or is she just tied up?”

“She’ll come, just be patient. “ Hiroko grumbled to the older squid. “Knowing her, she’s prolly smoothing things over with her boyfriend right now so she won’t feel guilty about hanging with Dia or something. “

Almost as if on cue, Dia came barreling down the stairs, followed by Elise, who wore a mischievous grin. The orange Octoling playfully jumped onto her shoulders, and eventually, Dia picked her up and held her bridal-style, and swung her around in the kitchen.

“Maya, your sister’s being such a handful!” Dia held back a laugh. As much as she wanted to be mad at the younger Octoling for riling her up, she just couldn’t. Not with those eyes!

“I live with her, onee-chan. I know that for a fact!” Maya exclaimed, and laid her head in Hiroko’s lap. Instinctively, the green Inkling laid a gentle hand on her favorite Octoling’s head and lovingly stroked her tentacles. 

The blue Inkling placed Elise down on the couch and headed for the front door to put on her shoes. “I’m going back to my place to pick up a few things. Do you guys want me to bring back anything?”

“Chocolate!” Elise squeaked. 

“Rice crackers.” Hiroko shouted. 

“I want melon bread!” Maya replied. 

“Oh my god, you guys!” Kai grinned. “She’s just one squid, jeez!” Kai got up from her spot on the couch and walked towards Dia. “I’ll go with you to help carry stuff, ‘cuz it sounds like the girls want the entire store!”

The two Inklings left the sisters’ townhouse and walked back to Dia’s apartment, shoulder-to-shoulder. Away from the other girls, Kai shoved her hands in her pockets and mostly kept to herself during the trip. Considering her usual jokester personality, Dia found it kind of odd to see Kai so quiet for once. 

“You know,” Dia began. “You’re actually the closest in age to me, only a year apart!” 

“Hell yeah, we are!” The yellow Inkling grin. He pigtails bobbed up and down as she strolled along. 

Dia struggled to keep the conversation going. Out all of her friends, Kai had been the one she’d spent the least time talking with. It was a natural thing in most friend groups, to have at least one friend you’ve strayed from, she assumed. She glanced over at the yellow Inkling and noticed her expression, which was a little darker than usual.

“Something on your mind, Kai-chan?” Dia asked sweetly. 

She snapped out of her train of thought and gave the blue Inkling a worried look. “Listen, I know that you and Glaucon are a bit of a sore subject sometimes, but…” Her voice trailed off. “You’re planning something later, aren’t you Dia?”

The older girl sighed. She opened the door to her apartment and let Kai and herself in. “I really can’t get anything past you. You and Hiro-san are so...perceptive!” 

Dia grabbed her black dress, stockings, garterbelts, and choker and shoved them into a tote bag. She kicked off her Mawcasins and changed into her black platform boots, as it would just be easier to wear them out rather than to carry them. She lastly grabbed Mercury and slung it around her back before locking the apartment door behind her and Kai. 

“You see…” Dia started to explain. “I’m gonna tell Glaucon that we need to break things off starting tonight.”

“What do you mean by that?” Kai’s eyes widened. 

“Remember how I said that Glauc and I were just friends a while ago? I-I kinda lied but kinda didn’t!” Dia clutched her chest. “I was in love with her since the day I met her, but I turned her down and told her that I’d rather be friends. I was scared of getting into a relationship, so I denied my feelings for her. “

Kai nodded her head. She gingerly took Dia’s hand and rubbed the back of it with her thumb. Dia gave her a silent look of gratitude.

“Well, I’m pretty sure that she was still in love with me too, I’m almost certain. It was complicated, but after she started dating Aiden, things got worse. She kept flirting with me, and I was stupid and kept flirting with her back. We both knew damn well that it was wrong, because she was dating Aiden, but we kept it going. It got especially bad last night…” Her face flushed as she remembered the conversation. “I hate to say it, but I feel like she’s cheating on her boyfriend with me!”

“But you haven’t touched her, much less seen her in person since they started dating, right?” Kai replied, doing her best to try and soothe her friend. 

Dia shook her head. “No, I haven’t. But Kai, the way she talks to me, it’s so bad!. I feel guilty every time I think about it. That’s why I have to get her to stop.”

“That’s great and all, but what if she offers to break up with her boyfriend to start dating you? What would you do?”

“I would tell her ‘no’ and encourage her to stay with Aiden.”

“Why? I thought you were in love with her!” 

“I am!” Dia’s voice cracked. “I really am, it’s just that I would feel horrible! Aiden’s known and loved her for much longer than I have. It would be too horrible and selfish of me to take her away from him, especially with how good he is to her!” 

Kai rolled her eyes. “You’re something else, Dia.” She sighed. “But don’t worry, we’ll be here to help you through it.”

“Have fun watching the tournament tonight, honey!” Glaucon waved to her boyfriend from the front door. 

Aiden smirked and lingered in the hallway. “I would take you with me, but you hate playing Clam Blitz, much less watching it! I’ll be back before three a.m.”

“Sounds good! But I think I’ll head back to my place tonight.” 

“Okay! Just text me ‘goodnight’ before you head to bed!” With this, the mint Inkling climbed down the staircase of his apartment building and walked down to the Square. 

A devilish grin spread across the lavender squid’s face. She grabbed her overnight bag and glanced at her phone to check the time. 7:45 in the evening.

“I’ve got plenty of time!” She cheered. She dove into her overnight bag and fished out her outfit for later- a pair of tight black pants, a white chiffon shirt adorned with ruffles, and a short-sleeved black blazer. She ran each piece over with a clothes iron and started to change into them. She quickly adjusted her tentacles and slipped on her Black Trainers. She still had more running around to do, so the heels she had would just have to wait. 

Glaucon raced down to the train station and caught the next train to the Umi district, which wasn’t too far away, thankfully. She made a mad dash to her apartment only to set her bag down and grab her makeup bag from her bathroom. As she hopped onto the train headed for the Wakame district, she checked her phone one again. 8:15, the clock read. 

Finally arrived. Glaucon speedwalked past Dia’s apartment and headed for the address that Maya had sent her earlier. She knocked on the door, only to be welcomed by the sound of girlish laughter. Good cod, she had missed this. 

“You’re here!” Maya squealed and jumped into her arms for a hug. “And you look amazing!” She beamed. 

Glaucon blinked as she noticed Maya’s outfit. She wore a short, sleeveless, pale pink dress with a white blazer and dainty white pumps. “You look amazing, too!” She replied with a smirk. 

Maya giggled in response and dragged Glaucon into her house. Glaucon’s looking around was interrupted abruptly as the love of her life entered her line of sight. Her started racing as she studied each and every detail of her outfit. From the way she was sitting on the staircase, Glaucon could just barely catch a glimpse of her garterbelts and marveled at how it hugged her thighs so gently. She was practically drooling at this point. 

Dia cut herself off as she was talking as soon as she made eye contact with Glaucon. It had been weeks since she last had seen her, and she was basically glowing. Her skin had become much clearer, and it looked softer and more supple than she remembered. Dia couldn’t help but let her eyes wander down to Glaucon’s legs and hips, which looked fantastic in those pants that were probably a size too small for her. Her face burned hotly, and Glaucon’s face burned bright red as well. The pair gazed into each others eyes, both searching for the right words to say after going so long without seeing each other. 

“Hey there, beautiful!” Glaucon took on her famous, low sultry tone. “ Has anyone ever told you that you have the most mesmerizing eyes in all of Inkopolis?” 

Dia smirked and stood up gracefully. She walked over to Glaucon and lovingly placed her cupped her face with her hands. “Yeah, somebody has. It was you!” She threw herself into Glaucon’s arms, and the other girls began to cheer. The two girls stayed like that for a moment before suddenly remembering something. 

“Oh wait! I forgot to tell you guys this but,” Dia pushed Glaucon away gently, much to her dismay. “My friend Frederick is gonna meet us there and come hang out with us!”

“No boys allowed!” Elise and Kai said together, making an X with their arms.

“No boys allowed~!” Glaucon mimicked the two girls.

“Don’t worry though! I’m pretty sure he’s bringing one of his guy friends along, so he won’t be too up under us!” Dia explained. 

“That’s fine, Dia! Ignore those idiots over there.” Hiroko snickered. 

As the other girls began to chatter amongst themselves, Glaucon leaned over towards Dia to put a hand on her shoulder, only to miss it completely. Embarrassed, she looked down at Dia’s feet to notice her platform boots, and pouted. 

“That’s not fair, you’re already a little taller than me to begin with!” She whined. 

Dia put her arms around Glaucon’s waist and pulled her back in for another hug. “That’s true! But shorter girls are cuter though~!”

Glaucon’s face flushed ever redder as she became completely flustered. Instead, she stood on the balls of her feet to try and kiss Dia, just barely missing her lips. 

As the pair started giggling together, Kai glanced over with a worried expression. She knew what was going to happen later, and she knew better than to betray Dia’s trust and tell the others. Instead, she did what she knew best and came up with a fitting joke. 

“Woah now, lovebirds!” She jeered. “Either take that shit outside or save it for the club!” The whole room erupted into a roar of laughter. 

“You’re just salty that you can’t have the most beautiful girl in all of Inkopolis, and you know what? I get it. I feel bad for you!” Glaucon retorted with a grin on her face.

“You can keep her, she’s into some kinky shit!” Kai replied, causing Dia’s expression to melt into one of utter embarrassment. 

“I-I-I am not, we’ve been over this!” Dia stammered. “They’re garter belts, not restraints!” She folded her arms angrily. “Oh my cod, is it really that weird to wear them in this day and age?”

The Octoling sisters shared a puzzled look, and Hiroko snickered under her breath. 

“In the bedroom, no! But outside underneath your dress casually? Just a little bit!” Kai teased. 

“Garter belts, huh? Could you show me them?” Glaucon asked Dia with wink. 

The blue Inkling furrowed her eyebrows and shook her head. With a sigh, she cupped Glaucon’s face and pulled it closer to her own. As she gazed at her intently, the lavender squid gave an awkward laugh and desperately tried to look away.

“You didn’t do your makeup yet, did you?” She sighed, quickly changing the subject. “Your outfit’s amazing, but you’re actually a little bit of a mess.”

“Can’t get anything past you, baby doll!” Glaucon laughed. She took Dia’s hands from her face and fished her makeup bag out of her purse. “Could you help a squid out?”

Dia nodded her head and rummaged through the little polka-dotted bag. Elise hovered over her shoulder, and the two cephalopods sighed heavily as they saw the contents.

“It’s only foundation and concealer. “They replied dryly together. “Where’s the rest?”

“That’s all I need! My natural beauty fills in the gaps!” Glaucon threw her hands behind her head and smirked. 

“She’s right, you know!” Hiroko shouted from her spot on the couch. 

Elise and Dia began plucking a few items from everyone else’s cosmetic stashes to see what else they use to spruce up Glaucon. They eventually came back to the living room with mascara, loose highlighter powder with a rose gold tint, blush, and eyeshadow palette from Elise’s collection titled “Alchemic”. 

The two makeup artists sat their new client down and got to work immediately. Starting with her eyes, Dia dabbed on some of Glaucon’s concealer onto her eyelids gingerly before backing off to make room for Elise. The Octoling cracked open her eyeshadow palette and reached for a tiny brush from her collection. She looked over the various colors excitedly, debating on which one to use. She looked over at Dia’s nails, and her eyes lit up with glee. She dipped her brush into a silver powder from the palette and brushed it over Glaucon’s danity little eyelids. 

Dia snickered as she realized what Elise was up to. “It matches!” She squealed. 

“Of course!” Ellise beamed. “You two already kinda match with your outfits already, so I thought I’d just tie it all together. 

“That’s true!” Glaucon exclaimed as she did her best to keep her eyes closed. “We didn’t plan this at all! I just saw this outfit and thought that black would nice today!”

“Uh, same!” Dia stammered. Her heart started to pick up the pace. She grabbed the mascara and started to apply it to the side that Elise just finished. 

“It’s like you two are all in sync.” Elise’s voice trailed off as she began to focus on the other eye.Glaucon laughed awkwardly, and Dia’s face flushed.

With the eye makeup done and set, the two got to work on the rest of the face. Dia squeezed some of Glaucon’s foundation onto the back of her hand, scooped it up with a makeup sponge, and began to dab it onto the lavender squid’s face. Elise grabbed Glaucon’s concealer and applied it under her eyes and along her Cupid’s bow with the application wand. Dia then finished applying the foundation, and then used the sponge to blend the two creams together. The orange Octoling grinned and reached for the highlighter and a fan brush. Dia glanced over and gave her assistant a smile.

“Your favorite part, huh?” She giggled as she reached for the blush she borrowed from Kai. 

“What can I say, I love the glow!” Elise replied as she began brushing some of the highlighter over Glaucon’s cheekbones.

Once Dia finished with the look with some blush, Elise grabbed her hefty bottle of half-empty setting spray and misted Glaucon’s face with it as the lavender squid held her breath. 

The other girls came over to take a look and started to shower the two makeup artists with praise. Dia grinned and walked away to grab Mercury leaned up against a wall. She slung her instrument across her back and grabbed her purse. 

“Are we ready to head out, ladies?” She shouted. 

The other five replied with a chorus of cheers as they all gathered their things and left the townhouse together. They walked down to the train station and caught the next train to the Square. 


	23. Swimming with the Manta Rays

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally it's time for the long-awaited club scenes~~!

“I’ve been meaning to ask…” Maya turned to Dia as the girls arrived at the nightclub. The line was especially long this Friday night, so the Octoling decided to kill some time as they waited. “What are you carrying on your back, onee-san?”

“Oh, this? It’s um…” Dia hestated. Should she spoil the surprise this early? “It’s something I have to deliver to one of the musicians performing tonight!” There, that wasn’t exactly a lie!

“Oh, its an instrument, then!” Maya beamed. 

“That makes sense. I’ve been hearing about some kind of performance going on tonight. “ Hiroko nodded her head as she moved forward in the line. The green Inkling stood towards the back of the group next to Maya, as if she was keeping watch. “You’ve got connections in the music world, huh?” 

“Yeah... “Dia admitted shyly. “Anyways, are you guys hyped? I’m so excited I can barely stand still!” 

“I’m nervous more than anything!” Elise laughed. “I think I’ll feel better after we get in!” 

“Oh my cod, I forgot about that!” Glaucon grumbled. “Do you think you guys should be okay?”

“Probably! My mom said she got Hiroko and I are cleared and good to go.” Kai explained.” We just gotta say the code word, right?” Hiroko nodded back, and pulled out her phone.

“Her mom?” Dia and Glaucon shared a look of mutual confusion.

“Hyperfresh said that Ellie and I were good, too!” Maya cheered. “To be honest, her name holds so much weight that we might not even have to pay to get in.”

Not long after, the it was the girls’ turn in line. Dia rushed ahead and whispered something into the bouncers’ ears, and pointed to the keytar on her back.

“Oh, LQS, right?” The taller of the two bouncers asked, his voice tinged with curiosity.

“That’s me!” Dia replied. 

“You’re all set. We’re glad you’re here tonight.” He took the blue Inkling’s hand and shook it daintily. He then subtly slipped her a special Preformer’sV.I.P. badge into her palm, which Dia hid inside of her closed fist.

“Thank you! Do you know if CO is already here?” Dia asked quickly.

“Yeah, yeah! Him and his friend got here like, ten minutes ago.”

“Oh, thank cod!” She breathed a sigh of relief.

The other girls watched the scene unfold with curiosity. Glaucon shrugged her shoulders and walked up to the bouncers. Like a typical squid, she showed them her ID and paid the fee before going to join Dia, who was waiting off to the side. 

“Um, w-we-” Kai stammered nervously as she and Hiroko stepped towards the bouncers next. 

“You’ve spoken with Shiitake-san, am I correct?” Hiroko asked boldly, not breaking eye contact with either of the two burly Inklings. 

“Damn, she’s the real thing!” The bouncers beamed. They both shook Hiroko’s hand excitedly. “I can’t believe we actually got to meet you in person!”

“Aren’t you lucky?” Hiroko scoffed with huge grin spreading across her face. Kai gave her a look of gratitude. 

Hiroko and Kai took their V.I.P. passes from the bouncers and joined Dia and Glaucon, with a look of satisfaction on all of their faces. Maya stepped up to the bouncers next with Elise latching onto her arm and gave the two a warm smile. 

“Has Hyperfresh told you-” She began, only to get cut off immediately. 

“HYPERFRESH?” The two burly Inklings exclaimed in disbelief. “You mean, the one and only?”

The Octoling sisters merely nodded in agreement. The bouncers looked at each other and did their best to hold back their excitement. 

“So you two are her baby sisters, huh? She told me to tell you to “have fun, be safe, and stay together!’.” The dark green bouncer grinned. He also handed the sisters a set of V.I.P passes before the girls joined up again.

Glaucon glared at her friends’ V.I.P passes and furrowed her eyebrows. “Y’all aren’t even old enough and look at you! Livin’ like elites, you guys!” She teased. She then took Dia’s hand, and the six cephalopods finally entered the Manta Ray’s Den. 

The girls arrived at the perfect time, as the club was at its peak liveliness. An 8-bit version of  _ Spicy Calamari Inkcantation  _ blared out from the DJ’s turntables up on the stage as the crowd of cephalopods, all dressed to the nines danced out on the floor. The club’s three bars were all incredibly visible, as each were showered with blue and purple fluorescent lights coming from above. As soon as the girls walked in, some of the clubgoers noticed their presence immediately, and began to stare them down eagerly. 

Before the friends could even take everything in, their awe was interrupted the thud of a dark purple Octoling colliding with Dia and scooping her up into a hug. 

“Oh my cod, you’re here! You have no idea how happy I am to see you!” He rambled, hardly stopping to take a breath. 

“Of course I’m here, you idiot!” Dia laughed and hugged him back. Glaucon watched on from the sidelines with a scowl on her face. Dia turned around to her friends and put a hand on her DJ’s shoulder. “Everybody, this is my friend Frederick!” She grinned. 

“Nice to meet you girls!” He said sheepishly. He put his clasped his hands and played with them before eventually putting them into his pockets.

The younger girls all greeted him warmly, while Glaucon’s expression grew ever more annoyed. “Nice to meet you…” She grumbled at the Octoling boy. 

Fredrick grinned and looked away as the lavender squid addressed him. “I bet you’re Glaucon, aren’t you?”

“Yeah?” Glaucon replied, taken aback.”How did you know?”

“That one over there,” He pointed at Dia playfully. “She never shuts up about you, so I feel like I kinda know you already!” 

Soon after, a tall cherry red Inkling boy came over to the group from the bar with a drink in tow. “Looks like the lady of the hour is here, huh?” He put a hand on the Octoling boy’s shoulder and leaned up against him.

“Yup!” Frederick grinned. He put his hand over the red Inkling’s and gave him a quick smile before addressing the girls. “This is my friend, Zack! He’s the one I was telling you about who wanted to come watch today’s performance. “ The purple Octoling cleared his throat rather loudly at the end of his sentence, which caught Dia’s attention. 

“It’s so nice to meet you finally!” Dia replied coolly, trying her best not to give too much away in front of the other girls. She checked the time on her phone and turned towards Frederick. “By the way, don’t you think that it’s time we go and make this special delivery?” She wiggled her eyebrows, which was enough to cue Fredrick in. 

“Oh yeah, you’re right!” Fredrick jeered. “Let’s head backstage and go do that!” The two musicians said a quick “we’ll be back soon” to the others before taking off. They showed another set of bouncers their Preformer’s V.I.P passes, and slipped backstage. 

“Dia, I swear to cod that you showed up at the right time!” Fredrick breathed a sigh of relief and gave his bandmate another hug. “I was just about to have a full blown panic attack, and Zack-”

“Did you drink?”Dia asked sternly.

The Octoling looked away. “I only had a sip of Zack’s beer, but that’s it!” 

“You’re hopeless. “ She groaned. She clapped both of her hands on his shoulders and maintained eye contact. “Calm down, okay? We’re together now, and that means everything is going to be alright! You hear me?”

Frederick calmed down immediately and nodded in agreement. Dia took her hands away and put them on her hips. “You look fantastic by the way. You kinda look like my prom date or something!”

Frederick burst out with laughter. “Yeah, goth prom!” He wiped a tear from his eyes and grinned. “You look even better, though.”

“Thanks, pal.” She snickered back. 

The two checked the time, which was 8:53. Only seven minutes left until their debut. They did their best to stay calm as they sat on a few couches and chatted. Without a makeup artist or any help for her performance, Dia preoccupied herself with her hand mirror, fussing over every minute detail of her face. 

“Hey, Dia?”

“Yeah, Cobalt?”

Frederick grinned at the sound of his stage name. “If everything goes well tonight, Zack says he might be our drummer.” Dia looked up from her hand mirror as her eyes lit up with excitement. “And if I’m brave enough, I’ll even ask if he’s single…”

Dia’s eyes widened at the sound of this new gossip. “Then we better make sure we do a damn good job!” She growled with delight. 

One of the stagehands beckoned to the musicians to head out, and the pair walked out onto the stage, with Dia leading the way. 

All of the club’s lights dimmed before the stage lights flickered on, bringing all of the attention to the stage. The crowd buzzed with excitement. DJ Cobalt took his rightful place at the turntables, and Lady Quicksilver strutted over to the center of the stage with a mic in hand. She took a deep breath to steady herself, and faced the crowd with a wild look in her eyes. 

“How y’all cephalopods doing out there? What’s fresh, Manta Ray’s Den?” Dia growled into the mic, getting a mixture of screaming and excited shouts from the crowd. “We wanna see what you guys are made of! We wanna see just how hyped you guys can get!” She began walking back and forth across the stage, waving to whoever she could see in the crowd up front. “My name is Lady Quicksilver, and he’s DJ Cobalt. And we. Are. AZOTH!” She was already reaching a fever pitch, and she hadn’t even sang a single note yet. “We have for you tonight, ladies and gentlemen, our first ever live show with our newest song,  _ Deadlock Rock.  _ So lemme ask you this, Manta Ray’s Den- are you ready to rock?”

With that cue, DJ Cobalt dropped the beat and began blaring out the track. Dia shook her hips and placed the mic into its stand. She placed her fingers on Mercury’s keys and glanced over at her DJ for reassurance. Cobalt gave her a quick thumbs up, which she mirrored and gave a grin. With a deep breath, she finally unleashed the melody she had been aching to share for what seemed like an eternity. 


	24. Deadlock Rock

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If i could write music y'all know I'd make this a real thing if i could! But for now, here's the lyrics~~!

“ Come on, baby

Won't you rock me tonight?

When I've got you here, you know I'm feelin' alright

Just hold my hand and take me slowly,

You're all that I want- I've got you locked in my sights!

I'm coming for you baby, chasing after you like a storm

I wanna feel your touch, so wild and so warm

But I can't help but feel like something's different, tonight

Where did I go wrong?

Has it been too long?

Baby, I just wanna-

(Rock, rock, rock rock!)

I wanna feel your devotion

Give me your raw emotion

Break me through this crazy-

(Dead, dead, deadlock!)

Come on, baby

Won't you rock me tonight?

When I've got you here, you know I'm feelin' alright

Just hold my hand and take me slowly,

You're all that I want- I've got you locked in my sights!

Oh baby, you've got me reelin with this love that I’m feelin'

But I can't help but notice

It seems like you've been losing focus

Was it something I said?

I'll say I'm sorry in bed

Is there somebody else that you wanna -

(Rock, rock, rock rock!)

Why don't you end it already?

Why bother going steady?

Break me outta this crazy

(Dead, dead, deadlock!)

Come on, baby

Won't you rock me tonight?

When I've got you here, you know I'm feelin' alright

Just hold my hand and take me slowly,

You're all that I want- I've got you locked in my sights!

And it was me who pulled the trigger

It wasn't me you loved, it had always been her

Did my time with you mean anything at all?

Anything at all?

Don't pretend that everything's alright

Don't even call me tonight

Baby, I'm gonna-

(Rock, rock, rock rock!)

Imma break out on my own

As long as I'm free, who cares if I'm alone?

I've finally broken free from your crazy-

(Dead, dead, deadlock!)”


	25. Martinis and Mistakes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I warned y'all that it's gonna get lil' sad later on!

Every single cephalopod in the room, from the clubgoers, to the staff, and even the stagehands lost their minds. Dia jumped up and down and hugged Mercury tightly to her chest. Fredrick got up from his turntables and put an arm around Dia’s shoulders. The two friends both held up peace signed to the crowds and gracefully left the stage together. 

Glaucon’s jaw nearly hit the ground. That was her Dia up on stage! The same girl who’s husky timber she went crazy for, the same girl who told her that she was still a virgin. The same girl who she longed to hold day after day. All she wanted right now was to find her love and shower her with kisses and praise. 

“C-C’mon you guys, let’s go find those two!” Glaucon signaled to the others to come and follow. With Zack tagging along, the girls rushed over to the door leading backstage, only to find that a bunch of other clubgoers had the same idea. 

After what seemed like hours, Dia and Frederick finally emerged from backstage. They two fought their way through the crowd and reached their friends, only to be mobbed by some of their new fans.

“Can I get your autograph?”

“Dead, dead, deadlock!”

“When’s the next show?”

Dia and Frederick both froze up, unsure of how to deal with all of the commotion. With all of their adrenaline gone, they clung to each other nervously. 

“Why don’t we try and go up to the balcony and see if it’s quieter there?” Zack suggested. All the other seven cephalopods nodded in agreement and did exactly that.

Thankfully, Zack’s idea turned out to be a practical one, and the two musicians let out a sigh of relief simultaneously. The red Inkling hugged Frederick from behind and rested his chin on his shoulder. 

“See, I told you that you’ve got the chops to make it in this industry!” Zack beamed.

“I-I should’ve believed you from the start! You’re always right about stuff like this!” Frederick mumbled as he shyly put his hands on top of his. 

Maya and Elise both jumped at Dia, and hugged her from each side. Dia awkwardly put her arms around the two and hugged them back. 

“You,” Hiroko began. “Became a goddamn monster as soon as you got up on that stage!” She cheered. 

“Right! I feel like you’ve bamboozled us! But in the best possible way!” Kai chimed in.

“Well, this entire ordeal has been a huge passion project for me and Frederick, and I wanted all of you guys to be there! “ The blue Inkling explained. “I wanted to get a good reaction from you guys, so I did my best to keep it a secret. What did you guys think, by the way?”

“It was AMAZING!” The girls all cheered. 

“You’re so good at writing lyrics!” Elise gushed. “And I know you didn’t swear, but they were a little-”

“Suggestive?” Glaucon interjected with a wink. 

Dia snapped her fingers and pointed at her. “That’s the word! Keepin’ it classy and sexy at the same time!” 

“We should go celebrate!” Maya suggested. The others gave a shout of agreement. 

Glaucon took Dia by the hand and kissed her on the lips. “Drinks are on me, baby doll. And don’t forget, you owe me that dance!” 

The six girls headed back inside, leaving Frederick and Zack alone for now. Hiroko, Kai, Dia and Glaucon all made several trips back and forth to the bar. To nobody's surprise, Hiroko mostly held her liquor, downing five beers with relative ease. On the other hand, Kai immediately became tipsy with just one sip of a light beer. Eventually, the two girls headed out to the dance floor alongside the Octoling sisters, who were still thankfully quite sober.

Dia sipped on her rum cola gleefully as Glaucon stirred her martini while gazing at her. A few beads of sweat had formed on Dia’s shoulders from her intense performance, and now that she was finally sitting down, they began to roll down onto her breasts, and even into her cleavage. The lavender squid imagined herself licking it off, right here in front of everyone sitting at the bar. She indulged herself in this lewd fantasy before the sound of Dia’s voice brought her back to reality. 

“I requested a song from the DJ, you know.” She softened her gaze as she spoke.

“Is it one that I know?” Glaucon asked. She crossed her legs, hoping that Dia wouldn’t notice. 

“It’s an Off the Hook song, you should know it!”

“What is it?”

“It’s the one where Pearl and Marina were getting a little...flirty with each other on stage that one time they performed it live. “ Dia giggled. 

Almost as if on cue, the song changed, and was replaced by  _ Nasty Majesty.  _ Glaucon ran a hand through her tentacles and gasped. 

“Nasty, nasty! Tell me something nasty~~!” Dia sang along with Marina’s vocals as she got up from her barstool and dragged Glaucon with her, much to her delight. 

The pair arrived at the dance floor and immediately started dancing closer and closer to each other. By the time Pearl’s first verse started, Dia was grinding her ass up against Glaucon’s crotch, causing some of the other clubgoers to shout and wolf-whistle at them. 

Maya and Elise caught a glimpse of the scene and both covered their mouths with their hands. They looked away suddenly, their faces both red hot with embarrassment. 

Hiroko leaned up against Maya’s shoulders and snickered. “They’re adults, remember?”

Maya nodded before burying her face into Hiroko’s chest. “I probably shouldn’t have seen that, though!” She whined before wrapping her arms around the green Inkling. 

After the song was over, Glaucon winked at Dia, and the two ran back up to the balcony together. There were only a few other cephalopods around, which was perfect. A little bit of an audience never hurt! Glaucon playfully shoved Dia up against a wall and pinned her down. Dia let out a little bit of a growl before the two began making out passionately. Glaucon’s hands worked their way down to Dia’s ass, and eventually down her crotch. With just the slightest touch, Dia let out a tiny moan, doing her best to stay quiet. 

Glaucon got down on her knees and lifted up the front of Dia’s dress, revealing her garterbelts and black lacy panties. She planted a gentle kiss on Dia’s crotch through the fabric, and looked up at her flustered face. 

“We could fuck right here, right now if you want.” Glaucon whispered seductively. “I think today’s the best day for it! You start your singing career, we finally start getting serious.” She stood back up and began to fondle the blue Inkling’s breasts. “Hell, we could even run back to my place if you want and get down to it there. You down for it, Dia?”

Dia regained her composure and gave Glaucon a gentle kiss on the lips and shook her head “no”. She gave a deep sigh and held Glaucon’s hands before explaining herself. “We can’t, sweetheart. You and I both know damn well that we can’t.”

Glaucon shrugged her shoulders and laughed a little. “Not tonight, then? Or are you still saving yourself for the right one? Maybe it’s me and you don’t know it!” Glaucon laughed before noticing Dia’s somber expression, and quickly got quiet. 

“I can’t keep doing this, Glaucon.  _ We  _ can’t keep doing this.” Dia sighed while on the verge of tears. 

“Why not? Is something wrong-”

“Don’t play dumb, sweetheart! You’re already in a relationship with someone else, how can you expect me to just go along with everything and not feel horrible and guilty about it!”

“I’ve told you before, I love you more than I can even explain! I always have since the day I met you, and I always will!” 

“Lemme ask you this- are you in an open relationship?”

Glaucon bit her tongue. She knew that she was losing this argument, but yet she still kept pushing. “No, I’m not! But-”

“Then why are you still chasing after me?!” 

The small crowd of clubgoers began to look on with curiosity, whispering to each other with excitement. 

“Because I love you, bitch! I ain’t never gonna stop loving you, bitch!” Glaucon shouted. She pulled out her trump card, hoping to turn the tide to her favor. 

Dia stopped suddenly, and clasped her hands together over her heart. Instead of leaping into her arms and apologizing, like Glaucon hoped, the opposite happened. Dia burst into full blown sobs and clenched the sides of her dress anxiously. 

“This is what I’m talking about!” She shrieked. “ I love you so fucking much, and I can’t have you! Every god damn night I dream about fucking you ‘til we both can’t walk, and then as soon as I wake up, I remember that somebody else is doing that for you! It’s hell, Glaucon!”

“Then I’ll break up with him! I”ll break up with him, and you and I can-”

“NO!”

“No?!” Glaucon yelped. She wasn’t expecting this answer from her. 

“No, don’t do that! Dia sobbed. “I wouldn’t feel right if you went and did that! Aiden’s known you for years, and I...I’m just some needy-ass girl who wants to get with the first person who gives her attention!” She buried her hands in her face, which was the final nail in the coffin for her once flawless makeup.

“Baby doll, I-”

“Don’t call me that anymore!” Dia shouted back. “Glaucon, I don’t want you texting me anymore! Everytime we talk, I feel like you’re cheating on your boyfriend with me. Aiden’s such a good guy, you know? He’s good for you! He doesn’t deserve this!”

“Then what do you want me to do, Dia?” 

Dia’s stopped crying and blinked at Glaucon a few times. As much as she rehearsed this conversation slash argument in her mind, she never expected Glaucon to react this defiantly. She took a deep breath and somehow managed to calm herself down a little.

“I want you to say goodbye, Glaucon.” She took a few steps forward and looked right into her pink eyes. “Stop chasing after me and be a good girlfriend to Aiden.”

“And why should I?” Glaucon grumbled back. 

“If you really love me as much as you say you do,” Dia growled, her husky timber sounding terrifying for once. “You would listen, wouldn’t you?” She grabbed the shorter Inkling by her shirt collar and pulled her in for one last passionate kiss. “This is goodbye, Glaucon. “ 

Dia shoved Glaucon away and left the balcony silently. With the drama over with, the crowd dissipated, leaving the lavender squid alone with her sadness. She stumbled backwards into one of the couches outside and buried her face in her hands. 

Having sweated off some of the alcohol, Kai came running up the stairs first. She sat down next to Glaucon and wrapped her up in her arms. Having already known what had happened, she figured it was pointless to ask. She desperately tried to hold back her own tears as Glaucon began to bawl her eyes out. 

“W-w-where did I go wrong?” She wailed. She turned to face Kai and held onto her tightly. “She finally told me how she really feels about me, only for her to tell me to toss that shit behind us and move on? How can I? How can I move on when we didn’t even get a chance to try things out for real? This shit just isn’t fair!” 

Maya and Elise came running up the stairs next, followed by Hiroko who came with a glass of ice water for Glaucon. The three girls all crowded next to Glaucon and all placed their hands on her shoulders to try and soothe her. This only caused the lavender squid to start bawling more. 

“You guys knew, right? We were so in love, and even you guys realized it! I’ve never wanted someone so badly in my life! I wanted us to move in together, I wanted us to sleep together, hell- I wanted her all to myself!” She paused for a second to laugh at her pathetic self. “ But now, she just expects me to leave all this shit behind? How? I love her more than anyone else I’ve ever been with, so how can I?”


	26. Best Mates Chat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Looks like the lads have their own group chat too!

Ayydin: that last match was INSANE

DaddyFlint: bruv, that last bit of overtime had me SHOOK

Woshua69: nerds

Woshua69: Anyways, you’re still up boss?

Ayydin: yeah

Ayydin: Glauc went home, so I’m not looking forward to sleeping on my own tonight

DaddyFlint: sucks to suck

Ayydin: at least I dont swallow ;)

DaddyFlint: OMFG 

DaddyFlint: WATCH YO’SELF NOW BOI

Woshua69: LOL

DaddyFlint: btw, this is totally unrelated, but did you guys hear about what happened at the manta ray’s den earlier

Ayydin: no??

Woshua69: nah, tell us!

DaddyFlint: so they had this no name band called azoth or some shit debut, and they literally lit the place UP

DaddyFlint: I even heard a rumor that they were so good that kingfish was thinking about signing them on

Woshua69: what kinda band are they? like, what genre?

DaddyFlint: rock/pop

Ayydin: not a big fan of either

DaddyFlint: lmao, that combo isn’t very smart either

DaddyFlint: but the real shit is that the lead singer was up on the balcony having a full blown argument with somebody 

DaddyFlint: eventually, she got so pissed off that she just up and left

Woshua69: :o

Ayydin: doesn’t seem very fitting for a new star on her debut night, lmafoooo

Woshua69: i feel kinda bad though!

DaddyFlint: same! she’s was apparently a huge mess, you know

DaddyFlint: makeup ruined, tentacles all over the place, the whole nine yards

Woshua69: poor baby, i would give her a hug if I could

Ayydin: I bet she was rejecting some fan’s love confession or something

DaddyFlint: LOL

Woshua69: man

Woshua69: i dunno know about you guys, but I’m heading to bed

Woshua69: we’ll see you tomorrow, or later today, haha

DaddyFlint: wait for me!

DaddyFlint: but yeah, good night boss man!

Ayydin: good night lads


	27. Moving Up and Moving On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The two girls are tryin' to move on in the best ways they know how

“It’s so damn bitter. “ 

A two weeks had passed since the whole ordeal at the Manta Ray’s Den had happened, yet the lavender squid was still an emotional wreck. She hadn’t slept for a few days, she was on a massive losing streak in her Ranked matches, and worst of all, she was unbearably horny. 

She tried to satisfy her urge by sleeping with Aiden, but for the first time since they had started dating, she felt nothing. It was typical for some sessions to be less exciting, but she was stunned to realize that she no longer felt any pleasure. It wasn’t Aiden’s dick that her body wanted, but Dia’s tantalizing pussy. Of course, she didn’t have the heart to tell him, and struggled to fake an orgasm each time. 

Instead, Glaucon resorted to pleasuring herself. She began to slip back home rather than to stay at Aiden’s place, using any excuse she could think of just so that she could relieve some tension. In the shower, in her bed, and sometimes, even while she was watching tv, she rubbed herself out. It pained her to think of Dia, but it was the only way she could feel any pleasure from it. 

Currently, Glaucon sat on the same bench in Coral Ridge where she cried her eyes out in Dia’s chest that one Sunday afternoon with a cup of coffee in her hands. As she expected, it was bitter as hell, but the harsh taste was also a little comforting. The lavender squid crossed her legs and pulled out her phone. She knew that she should probably stop for her own sake, but she opened up her text messages and re-read some of her old conversations with Dia. 

Just as she was about to sigh with contentment, her phone began to ring out. She didn’t bother to set a special ringtone for him, as she knew from now on that he would mostly be the only one to call her. 

“Hey, Aiden.” She answered dryly.

“How does Mahi-Mahi Resort sound?” The mint Inkling asked. 

“What? You mean for our vacation next month?” Glaucon replied with surprise. 

“Yup!” 

A soft smile spread across her face. “That sounds amazing, honey! I’ve never been before!”

“Neither have I! We can experience it for the first time together.”

“D-do you wanna go get some lunch and talk about it some more?”

“I would love that!”

Glaucon hung up the phone and laughed a little. She had to make this work, for her own sake. But if things stayed peaceful just like this between the pair, maybe it wouldn’t be as hard as she originally thought?

“Alright, you sons of bitches, you better listen up! The boss is gonna talk, so give her your one hundred percent!” Fredrick barked at the gaggle of new cephalopods in his recording studio. He pointed finger guns at Dia, who was lounging on top of one of his new amps, giving her the cue to start. 

“Um, thanks Cobalt!” She giggled. “Now, um, I know we’ve all been introduced to each other at some point, but that was a good three days ago during the hell that was auditioning, and also- I am really bad with names!” The whole room burst into laughter. “So, let’s just make sure that we’re all on the same page. Let’s all say our names, instruments, and stage names!” She got up from her spot on the amp and folded her arms. “I’m Dia, the lead vocalist and keytar player. Stage name- Lady Quicksilver, but I also go by LQS if you wanna get fancy. “

“You all know me, but I’m Zack, the drummer. Stage name is Crazy Chromium!” The tall red Inkling explained. 

Next up was Frederick, who rolled his eyes. This was his least favorite part of recruiting so far. “Frederick, the DJ. Stage name is DJ Cobalt.”

“I-I’m Momo!” The short pink Inkling girl stuttered. “Guitarist, and my stage name is Pink Palladium!”

Dia clapped her hands together and grinned. “I love that~! It’s cute and kinda badass at the same time!” She cooed. She looked over at the last band member and nodded at her, cueing her in to go next. 

“Anko. Bassist and secondary vocalist. Stage name- Annie Antimony. “ The black Inkling girl said with a smirk. 

The band leader’s eyes lit up as she rushed over to her new bassist and grabbed her hands. “That’s right, you’re that one alto with that crazy lower register!”

“Uh, yeah. I’ve been even called a high tenor before.” Anko wiggled out of Dia’s grip as she spoke. 

“This is perfect! You voice is gonna blend so well with mine, I’m excited!” Dia threw her arms around the two new Inkling girls and gave Frederick and Zack a grin. “This doesn’t even feel real, I feel like I’m still dreaming!”

“Stay on task, big boss! Wasn’t there something else you had to tell everyone?” Frederick said with a sigh. 

“Oh yeah, I almost forgot!” Dia let go of Momo and Anko before crossing clearing her throat. “That’s right, there’s one more important thing I gotta tell you guys! Kingfish Records has told us that we’re basically signed onto a deal with them-” 

“For eel?!” Zack, Anko, and Momo all exclaimed, interrupting Dia’s train of thought. Frederick only nodded his head with a smirk on his face. 

“Yeah, I’m for real!” Dia laughed. “But it won’t be official until we present our agent with our first album. After he looks it over and hopefully likes it, then after that we’ll be officially under their label. “ 

“So, what should you guys all be doing starting from now on?” Frederick barked. 

“Practicing!” The rest of the band replied. 

As the other band members began unpacking their instruments to get ready for today’s practice session, Frederick approached Dia and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. 

“You doing alright?” Frederick asked her quietly. 

“Yeah, I’m fine!” She whispered back as she took Mercury out of her case. 

“How did your date go the other day?”

Dia grimaced. “ Horrible. He was only invited me out just to have sex with me, not because he wanted a long term relationship or anything.”

“What about the one before him?”

“Just as bad. She kept lying about herself to try and impress me.” She grumbled. 

Frederick groaned. “Fuck them, we should hang out instead! Are you busy on the 22nd?”

Dia pulled out the calendar on her phone just to check. “Sorry, I’m gonna be busy on that day. I’m going on a trip.”

“Oh, seriously?” Frederick beamed. “With who? Did you find a decent date after all?”

Dia snickered. “Yup, she was right under my nose the whole time.” Dia stroked her instrument lovingly. “I’m going with Mercury!”

The two friends both burst out laughing before finally starting up today’s practice session. Momo glanced over at her two bandmates and mustered up the courage to ask the question that had been on everyone’s minds. 

“B-before we start, I wanted to ask you two something!” She asked shyly. “How long have you known each other, Dia and Frederick?”

“Oh my cod…” The DJ groaned. 

“Oh my cod, lemme tell you everything then!” Dia clapped her hands together and giggled. “I’ve known him for two years now, but get this! How we first met was the craziest freakin’ -”

“Dia…” Fredrick whined. 

She merely ignored him and continued to tell her story. “Back in the day, I had just moved into my new apartment, and the first thing I did instead of unpacking was that I bought a ticket to go see the Bottom Feeders concert. I went by myself because I was still kinda new to the neighborhood, and I made sure to come with a ton of ...glowsticks.” Her voice trailed off as she glanced back at Frederick, who had buried his face in his palms. He knew what was coming next. “So,  _ Seafoam Shanty _ starts up, and of course, you gotta start headbanging. But since this Octoling over here couldn’t see for shit without a glowstick, he freakin’ hit his head on someone in front of him, and he looked like he wanted to die!”

Momo and Anko both held back a snicker while Zack burst out into a fit of laughter, and nearly started crying. 

“He did WHAT?” The red Inkling wheezed. 

“I’m serious!” Dia squealed. “And so I ended up giving him one of my glowsticks, and we’ve been friends ever since!”

Fredrick puffed out his cheeks and gently shoved Dia’s shoulder. “At least I’m not in love with my instrument!”

“Hey now!” Dia grumbled back before eventually breaking out into another giggling fit. 


	28. ♪Coffee Friends Chat♪

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One of the last chats between them for a while

Glauc&Roll: hey, its me again

Glauc&Roll: i know im not supposed to be texting you anymore, and you prolly hate me

Glauc&Roll: but i wanted to keep you updated

Glauc&Roll: aiden and I are going on vacation soon, and imma use that time to try and fix things up with him

Glauc&Roll: cuz you’re right, he really is good for me, and I love him a lot 

Glauc&Roll: even if you don’t reply, i just wanted you to know whats happening

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: shut your mouth

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: I don’t hate you, I never could

Glauc&Roll: !!!

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: It’s just that you’re stubborn, and I had to yell and scream at you so I could get the message through your thick skull

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: And I’m so happy to hear that! I’m actually going on a little bit of a trip myself towards the end of the month!

Glauc&Roll: sounds fun!

Glauc&Roll: how’s the band business going?

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: AMAZE

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: We actually have like, a full band put together, with a drummer and guitars and a bassist!

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Kingfish basically has us under their label, we just gotta write our first album, and then it’ll be official

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Speaking of, how has your modeling career going? Are you still doing photoshoots and stuff with Tentatek?

Glauc&Roll: um, kinda

Glauc&Roll: aiden says that I should prolly break things off with them so we can focus more on our relationship

Glauc&Roll: sucks, but it is what it is

Glauc&Roll: compromise and all that

Glauc&Roll: anyways, it looks like we’ve both moved on for real

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Yeah, that’s for sure

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Btw, there’s one more thing I need to tell you

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: If you ever at any point get put into...i dunno, a bad situation

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Come to me, and I’ll be there for you

Glauc&Roll: ???

Glauc&Roll: oddly specific, but thank you?

Glauc&Roll: where is all of this coming from?

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Well….

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: I know that sounds weird right now, especially after I was being really extra the other day to try and push you away

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: But tbh, I don’t want you to think that I’m abandoning you either

Glauc&Roll: !!!

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Lemme explain! We obviously can’t have things the same way as they were before, but that doesn’t mean that we should stay out of each others’ lives!

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Am I making any sense???

Glauc&Roll: perfect sense, lmafooo

Glauc&Roll: thank you for that, baby doll

Glauc&Roll: FUCK 

Glauc&Roll: I mean, dia!

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: LOL 

Dia_Is_Unbreakable: Anyways, I’ll talk to you later!


	29. Among the Wild

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dia takes a lil' hiking trip for her birthday! Soul searching ensues

July 22nd. This year it landed on a Thursday, which couldn’t be more perfect. Dia awoke next to all of her stuffed animals and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. She gave her arms a stretch before getting ready for the day. 

Normally, she would wear a fancy dress or something at least a little cute on the day of her birthday, but this year, she opted for a plain pink t-shirt, shorts, and her new pair of Pro Trail Boots. This year, she decided against going out to eat or having a party. Today was going to be yet another personal day for the blue Inkling. With her backpack and Mercury in tow, Dia caught the next train out to the countryside, out to Mount Nantai. 

Thankfully, this place had yet to become famous among the influencers of Inkopolis, meaning that the mountain and its surrounding valley was just as peaceful as she remembered. As she left her train and wandered out to the trail, she took a deep breath to fill her lungs of the clean mountain air. She knelt down to lace up her boots a little tighter and began her trip to the top. 

Due to the summer heat, the mountain was in full bloom. Dia could hardly contain her excitement as she stopped at every wildflower to pluck a sample. She held every flower up to her nose and savored their sweet scents. An assortment of wild berries also dotted the landscape, but Dia’s favorite were the sea grapes. As soon as she found her first patch, she immediately stopped to grab a whole handful to snack on while she hiked. 

A little before noon, the blue Inkling finally reached her destination- the summit. As if the mountain itself was waiting for her, the grassy patch covered in wildflowers danced in the wind and beckoned to her to come and lie down. With a sigh of relief, Dia set down Mercury and her backpack and laid on her back in the grassy patch to gaze up at the sky. Mount Nantai, as always, was silent. 

“This is where Pearl and Marina had met, huh?” She pondered aloud. “I guess you could say that this is where Off the Hook was born.... just like me.” She closed her eyes and sighed, as the memories of her past all came flooding back to her all at once. 


	30. The Story She Tried to Forget

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhhh mildly angsty/vent chapter! I almost didn't post this chapter but at the same time it explains Dia's character soooo well, soooooooo  
I'm hoping at least one person can relate, haha

Her household was by no means the worst one out there. There was food on the table every night, no major financial troubles, and both of the family’s daughters were on track to go to college. But if there was one thing that made Dia want to leave, it was the arguing. If her parents weren’t arguing with each other, they were arguing with her older sister. 

Her only solace from the noise was music. She didn’t want to burden her “friends” with the idea that she could stay over at their houses if things were stressful at her place. Her headphones became her lifeline to a moment’s peace. 

As anyone would, her sister left the house as soon as she could. But when she left, she never looked back. She took off with her girlfriend and cut herself off from her younger sister and parents. Dia wasn’t at all surprised when it happened. Her sister used to practically ignore her whenever she was in a relationship in the past, only to come crying back to her for support when things went sour. 

But it was fine. Dia had her brother. Not physically, but perhaps spiritually. She spoke to him daily, almost like an imaginary friend, but in the most extreme case. He was real! It's just that his soul was in heaven instead of living in this chaotic household. It wasn’t his fault that he died before he was even born. Sometimes, Dia couldn’t help but feel jealous of her brother for leaving her behind. Why couldn’t he take her with him?

She tried to reach out to her other relatives. Aunts, uncles, cousins - they were all the same. They didn’t want anything to do with her until she started working a summer job. She was of no use to them unless she was willing to spend money on them. 

It was a painful, harsh reality. On the surface, one might have assumed that she was a healthy, happy, well-adjusted girl. But, only she herself knew the full truth. 

But, the one thing that did keep her going was the prospect of a bright future. She was hardworking and intelligent, and a gifted scholar of all things science. She was famous around her school for being a better at teaching her classmates biology and chemistry that the actual teachers herself. 

Everything was laid out for her. She would become a nurse, hopefully get married, and maybe even have a few children. This was her reason for living, and to keep herself on that path, she gave up what little happiness she had left. All of her free time was replaced by studying, her headphones seeing less attention than her textbooks. She threw away the last few years of her childhood to secure her future as a “happy” adult. 

Nobody knew how to react when she died. Her parents lost the last thread holding them together. Without their “good” daughter around, there was nothing stopping them from finally cutting ties with each other. Her sister lost her one and only true friend. She foolishly devoted her life to her stay-at-home girlfriend, only to find that she had been cheating on her while she was at work. Her classmates lost their tutor, and her “friends” lost their emotional dumping ground. They didn’t really care for her, they only used her to vent out all of their frustrations because they knew how she would listen. They didn’t lose Dia that day- they lost their most reliable tool. 

With Dia being the person she was, she made sure to write up a will at the young age of 14 and make it easy for her family members to find. It’s not that she had planned on dying or ending it all herself, it was just her own paranoia causing her to be prepared for the possibility. The girl only asked for three things to be done for her. First, she asked that her favorite leather notebook of song lyrics was to be passed down to the youngest female family member- a feeble, yet successful attempt at keeping her legacy alive. Second, she asked her parents to care for her cat until she too passed away, a request that was carried out by her mother and her new husband. Lastly, she asked for her ashes to be spread into the ocean. She figured that it was fitting, because her happiest memories were all made on the beach. And besides, she could finally travel the world that way. 

And that’s where Dia’s story should’ve ended. She bid her miserable life “good riddance”, and should’ve went to join her miscarried brother. But, a miracle happened. Thousands of years after her ashes became one with the sea, the girl was reborn- given a second chance at life. 

She awoke in a foreign land, no? She awoke under the ocean, atop of a massive mountain. She rubbed her eyes a few times to make sure that she wasn’t dreaming. She inspected her body to check for any bruises or cuts, only to be met with a shock. 

“Why does my body look so different?” She murmured to herself. “Am I even a human anymore?”

Thankfully, wherever she was, it was warm and almost pleasant outside. She could hear the faint babbling of streams further down below in the valleys, and there were plenty of local flora that looked edible. 

She spent the morning wandering around the mountain range, naked and alone. Eventually, she reached the base of the mountain and was met with a shriek out in the distance. As soon as she picked up her feet to run away, an elderly woman of this strange new species ran over to her. 

“Are you lost, little girl?” She placed a hand on Dia’s shoulder. “Are you here by yourself? Where are your parents?” Her voice became more frantic with every word. 

“I-I don’t have any.” Dia stammered. Although the sound of her new voice sounded alien, the words were nearly identical to her old language. 

“Do you have anywhere to go?” The elderly lady held back a few tears as she wrapped the girl with the picnic blanket she had balled up under her arm.

“No.” 

The woman sighed deeply. “I guess I have no choice but to take you with me, child.” She held out her hand, which Dia quickly grasped. “Let me take you to my home.”

Dia and her new guardian rode a train of some sorts back to what seemed to be a well built up city. As she did her best to try and ignore the stares from the others around her, the elderly woman led her back to her tiny apartment. 

“It’s not much, but it’s home. “ She sighed. “You can stay here as long as you want.” She ran into one of the bedrooms and returned with a pink dress, one fit for a teenager like herself, and handed it to the girl. “What is your name?”

“It’s um, Dia!” She replied as she smoothed out the wrinkles in her new outfit. “What’s yours?”

“It’s Sage. You can call me “Granny” if that’s easier.” She smiled warmly. She stepped into her kitchen to start making something for them to eat. She beckoned to her new family member to come sit down at the dining table. 

The two began to pass their time making conversation, as the warm summer day finally began to end. Sage put two bowls of clam chowder and salad at the dining table, and encouraged her to eat. 

A few days turned into weeks and months as Dia began her new life underwater with Granny Sage. It turned out that Sage had owned a cafe closer towards the capital of Inkopolis. Dia quickly learned how much she loved the little store, and often found herself there as either a customer or helping Granny wash the dishes. 

The elderly Inkling quickly came to love this new child that she was blessed with. When Dia’s 17th birthday rolled around, exactly one year after Sage at found her at Mount Nantai, she figured it was time to get her a present fitting for an Inkling her age. 

“What’s this, Granny?” Dia asked as she peeled the wrapping paper off of the oversized paint brush.

“It’s an Inkbrush, my dear. It’s so you can finally start playing in some Turf Wars like the other kids your age.” She explained with a smile. “Do you like it?”

“W-what’s a Turf War? That sounds terrifying!” Dia stuttered. 

Sage gasped and put her hand over her mouth. She couldn’t believe how out of touch the girl was. She gave the girl a quick explanation, and eventually ended up explaining more about Inkopolis and Inkling culture overall. Dia focused intently on her words as she nodded her head. 

“How could you not know about this, Dia? Even if you’re not from Inkopolis, you should’ve at least heard about some of these things.” Granny asked.

“Well, I don’t think that I’m from here, Granny. I’m a stranger in this world.” Dia sighed heavily before preparing herself for the incoming conversation. “I died a long time ago, I shouldn’t be around right now. But for some reason, I was given a second chance at life and was dropped into this world. “

“You weren’t an Inkling when you were alive the first time, were you?” Sage deduced. 

Dia gave her a look of gratitude, as the last thing she expected was for anyone to believe her. “Yeah, I wasn’t! That’s why I’m so confused about everything!” The two shared a laugh before Dia continued. “That’s why I was wandering around the mountain on my own that day.” 

Sage sighed heavily. Her expression turned into one of sorrow before she spoke. “That makes sense. It’s about time I told you why I was there that day, Dia.” Dia clasped her hands together and gave her guardian her full attention. “My granddaughter is buried there, Dia. She was the only family I had left.” A few tears began to roll down her cheeks. “She was bright, bubbly, and loved fashion. And gosh, her laugh could brighten up her day! I miss her so much, but you know what? I think that I was given you for a reason. You’re such a blessing, dearie. “

Dia began to cry as well. What were the chances? She wanted to break down and tell Sage about how she never got to meet either of her grandmothers, and that her granddaughter was with them in heaven, laughing and talking right now. But instead, she gathered her composure and grabbed the elderly woman’s hands. 

“We have each other now, Granny.” Dia smiled warmly. 

“Of course, Dia-dearie. We are a family, and we will always be!” She replied with a smile. 


	31. Happy Birthday, Diva!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Surprise, the cafe owner was her adoptive grandma the whole time! Looks like she's got something planned for the rest of Dia's special day!

The sound of her phone ringing woke Dia up from her daydream. How was she still getting service up here? She grabbed her phone from her bag, only to see the word “Home” light up the screen. 

“Hi, Granny!” Dia answered the phone. 

“Happy Birthday, Dia-dearest!” The elderly Inkling on the other line replied. “It’s 4:30, which officially means that you’re 21 now, aren’t you!” 

Dia giggled. “ I didn’t even realize that was the time already! Thank you, Granny!” 

“Of course, anything for you! And by the way, I haven’t seen you around the cafe in a few weeks.”

“Oh, I’m sorry! Between the debut and all of the other stuff going on, I’ve been so scatterbrained.”

“How about you come over tonight? I’ll make you a seafoam macchiato to go with your birthday cake!”

“What kind is it?”

“Double chocolate sea salt!” 

“That sounds delicious~!” The blue Inkling squealed. “I’ll be there by 7!” 

Dia hung up the phone and let out an excited cheer that echoed across the mountain. She took out Mercury from her case and began to caress the keys. She played around with a riff that she had in mind before stopping to write it down in one of her many notebooks. Once she was satisfied with her new progress, she packed up her things and headed back on the train to Inkopolis. 

Before she made her way to the cafe, she made a quick stop at her apartment to take a shower, set down her things, and to change into something a little more stylish. She eventually decided on a white dress with a cherry pattern on it and her white ballet flats before making her way to her Granny’s cafe. She hadn’t been here in months, back when she and Glaucon were attached at the hip. She sighed with nostalgia and turned the corner. For some reason, the cafe was silent at this time of night, which was a rare sight on a weeknight. She shrugged her shoulders and opened up the door. 

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DIA!” 

Confetti rained down onto the stunned blue Inkling. She blinked her eyes in confusion and looked around nervously. Fredrick and all of her other band mates, the Octoling sisters, and even Hiroko and Kai all were cheering and clapping their hands excitedly. Sage smirked and gave her granddaughter a wink. 

“You’ve found some amazing friends, Dia! They were the ones who planned all of this, not me!” The brewmaster chuckled. “All I did was make the food!” She walked into the kitchen to go grab the cake. 

The Octoling sisters jumped into Dia’s arms, and showered her with lots of kisses. Dia grinned and hugged them back tightly. 

“You guys are the best!” She cheered. She looked over in her bandmates’ direction and addressed them. “I can’t believe that even you guys made it too!”

“Well, we didn’t have a choice really. “ Anko scoffed. “It was either come or get our asses chewed out by Frederick the next morning, so-”

“Aren’t you just the sweetest?” Dia cooed. 

“Are you an idiot?” Anko grumbled, her face starting to turn red with embarrassment. 

Kai snickered at the exchange and leaned up against Hiroko’s shoulder. “She’s literally the spitting image of you, ain’t she Hiro-kun? Right down to the personality and everything.”

“Nah, “ Hiroko scoffed. “I’m not that bad anymore.”

“But you used to be!” 

Sage came back with a heavy, chocolate cake in her hands and gently set it down on the counter. She stuck the giant number candles in the dessert while Momo grabbed a stack of plates. Among the warm ambience of the cafe, all of Dia’s friends and family sang “Happy Birthday” to her and cut the cake. Sage made sure to give her granddaughter the first and largest piece, which she promptly devoured, much to everyone’s amusement. 

“Jeez, where does it all go?” Frederick teased. 

“Right up to her brain! That’s why she’s always got some crazy fresh ideas for new songs!” Momo laughed. 

“She’s right, you know! “ Dia pointed at the Octoling boy with her fork. “The brain needs glucose in order to function. In fact, the brain uses around twenty percent of the glucose you take in just so it can keep working!” 

Elise looked listened intently, in awe. “You’re so smart, onee-chan!”

“Don’t believe her so easily- she probably just pulled that number out of her ass!” Fredrick grumbled. 

“She’s right.” Hiroko piped up from the back. “I just looked it up, and twenty percent is spot on.” 

All of the cephalopods looked over at Dia in awe while Frederick chuckled and shook his head. 

“Alright, you win!” Fredrick admitted. 

“Stop trying to throw shade at the birthday girl!” Zack jeered. He put his arm around the DJ, causing him to puff out his cheeks in frustration. 

After the cake came the presents, which Dia was reluctant to accept. Only her grandmother had given her birthday gifts since she came to Inkopolis, but there’s a first time for everything! Maya and Elise had bought her a brand new eyeshadow, one titled “Stellar”, which was filled with several galaxy-themed colors. Kai had bought her a Yamagiri Beanie, which paired nicely with Hiroko’s gift- a box full of nerdy pinback button, each one being a reference to the two girl’s favorite show. Anko and Momo went with a more obvious gift- two hardcover notebooks and a full rainbow of gel pens. Frederick and Zack went a little more off the cuff with the custom-made decal set of Azoth’s band name and logo. Dia had wished that she brought Mercury so she could decorate her with them right away!

Lastly was Sage’s gift, whose was the most unexpected. Dia opened the rather large box to find a mountain of soft felt sheets. As she squealed with excitement and hugged her grandmother, her other friends gave each other puzzled looks. 

“You don’t understand, this is exactly what I needed!” She squealed as she looked through the box’s content some more. 

“That’s right, we don’t understand. “ Anko jeered. 

“Dia here is good with a need and thread!” Sage beamed. “She loves to make stuffed animals in her spare time!” 

“Yup! I already have a good idea of what I’m making later!” Dia cheered. She took a piece of pink felt and held it up to Maya’s tentacles, and realized that the color was closer to Momo’s. 

“Have we been bamboozled yet again?” Kai snickered, causing the whole room to burst into laughter. 

The night came to a finish, and Dia walked back home with the Octoling sisters before parting ways with them at the fountain. Back in her own apartment, she carefully put away her gifts, took a shower, and put on her pajamas. Like an excited child, she spent the rest of the night playing with her birthday presents. She arranged the buttons on her new beanie, attached the decals to Mercury, doodled with her new gel pens, and most importantly, got to work cutting out patterns in the felt. 

Hours later, way past her usual bedtime, Dia excitedly scooped up her armful of new plushies and arranged them lovingly on her nightstand. There were three Octoling and eight Inkling plushies, all color matched perfectly to their real life counterpart. 

“Zack and Fred can go together right here, “ Dia whispered. “Hiroko goes here, Maya can go next to her…” She giggled. “And lastly, you and I can go right here, up in the front! Together.” 

Dia placed two Inkling plushies, one baby blue, one lavender, right on the edge of the nightstand, front and center. She took a moment to admire her handiwork and crawled into bed. 

“Goodnight everyone, I love you….” She mumbled before eventually falling asleep peacefully. 


	32. Reunited?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aw hell yes, timeskip time! Fast forward to December, where we have lil' tone shift! This is where things start picking up for real!  
Also, tw for abusive relationships/verbal abuse/ in general women in distress (I know I mentioned in in the tags but this is where it starts)

To say it that she was a psychic would be an overstatement, but it wouldn’t be completely wrong, either. There was something about today that made Dia shudder as soon as she woke up. It wasn’t the hangover, she was used to those by now. Perhaps it was just a false alarm? Several months had passed since her birthday party, and now it was December in Inkopolis. Everything was picture-perfect since then. 

Now that Azoth was officially under Kingfish Record’s label, they now had access to more resources that they could ever afford on their own. Costume designers, make-up artists, tour buses- anything that they wanted! Even the rest of her bandmates had been especially cheerful, as Momo had finally started being less nervous, and Anko learned to lighten up a little bit. As for Zack and Frederick- they were...probably dating. Dia knew better than to ask, as she figured that her DJ would tell her when he was ready. 

Hiroko and Maya had started to spend more time with each other, while Kai and Elise became closer as well. Even Sage had seemed to become more energetic as of recently. As for Dia herself, she’d been starting her days with more energy, had gained more street cred than she knew what to do with, and even started baking again. 

“So why am I so nervous?! Dia groaned. If her intuition was a real person, well cephalopod, she would scold it like a misbehaving toddler until it finally calmed down. “It’s Christmas Day, let’s just try and take it easy today!” 

She slapped her cheeks lightly and got ready for the day. One thing that she couldn’t get used to was the fact that Inkopolis celebrated Christmas on the 24th. In her first life, she would’ve celebrated it today, instead. Another stark difference is that it was seen as a romantic holiday for couples to spend together, almost like Valentine’s Day. Without anyone she could call a “romantic partner”, Dia instead chose to spend the night with the girls. Maya and Elise threw a massive Christmas party for all of their female friends (because still, no boys were allowed!) that lasted until late in the night. Her one regret was finishing the entire bottle of champagne on her own. She had stupidly brought it over, forgetting that she was the only one among the girls who was legally able to drink. As much as her hangover sucked, it was totally worth it!

With her breakfast ready, Dia sat down at her dining table to dig in when her doorbell rang. She sprang up from her chair and swung the door open. She covered her mouth with her hands as she recognized who it was. 

“D-D-Dia…?” The lavender squid on her welcome mat stammered. “Aiden broke up with me.” 

Dia gasped in her horror as she examined Glaucon more carefully. Her face was covered in fresh bruises, her tentacles were a mess, and her eyes...her eyes lost the same spark in them that made Glaucon, well, Glaucon. 

Dia quickly pulled Glaucon into her apartment along with the bags at her feet and pulled her in for a hug. “Well, he did more than just that! What did he do to you, Glaucon?” 

The lavender squid trembled in Dia’s arms and starting to breakdown, screaming and crying into Dia’s chest. Dia decided not to pry for now and instead did her best to soothe her. She gingerly picked her up bridal-style and placed her on the couch, as it seemed that she needed her for longer than she thought. As Dia got up from the couch to grab a blanket, Glaucon grabbed her by the sleeve and started shaking her head. 

“I’m not gonna leave you, sweetheart. I’m just gonna-”

“Don’t call me sweetheart!” Glaucon began to sob even more profusely. 

“Oh, okay! I’m sorry!” Dia apologized. She took Glaucon by the hand and led her to the bedroom to grab one of her many blankets when came up with a better idea. 

“Would you rather stay here instead of the couch?” Dia asked sweetly. Her warm, dulcet tones immediately worked to calm Glaucon down. 

“Y-yeah!” Glaucon nodded her head. “You’re living room is always too cold.” A tiny smirk spread across her face. 

Dia undid some of the sheets, scooped up Glaucon, and tenderly placed her in the bed. She then climbed in next to her and tucked the two of them in. She turned to face Glaucon before the lavender squid immediately latched onto her again, their faces so close together that Dia could hardly breathe without getting tickled by Glaucon’s breath. She gave her a warm smile, and threw her arms around her lovingly. 

“Can I stay here? At your place?” Glaucon murmured. 

“Of course you can, sweet- I mean, Glauc!” Dia fumbled with her words. “I told you, I’m here for you, especially when things get bad.” 

“You’re too good to me.” Glaucon replied. 

“Maybe I am, but so are you!” She teased. “But don’t worry about anything for now. Let’s just make sure you’re comfortable so you can start to recover, okay?” Glaucon nodded her head silently, getting a satisfied grin out of the blue Inkling. “Good. Now, get some sleep- you look like you need some more!” 

Dia then turned her back to Glaucon to try and get some fresh air. The lavender squid scooted closer to the blue Inkling and latched onto her again, this time even tighter. Dia hadn’t planned on going back to bed, she figured that she’d sneak out unnoticed after Glaucon fell asleep, but of course, she couldn’t resist the warmth, and she dozed off right away. With a tiny smile on her face, Glaucon started to play with Dia’s tentacles before finally falling asleep as well. 

  
  


“I never thought you’d be this dumb, you fucking bitch. You don’t know how good you had it with me, and now you’re just gonna throw it away? I could’ve taken care of you, you wouldn’t have had to work! You’re such a fucking dumbass whore, you know that? Good luck finding somebody else who can love you, you fucking whore!” 

Dia woke up suddenly to the sound of Glaucon screaming. She was wailing uncontrollably, rocking herself back and forth in the bed to try and soothe herself. Something inside Dia clicked, as if she switched into her “nurturing, caretaker mode”. 

“ Everything is okay! Everything is okay, you’re safe!” She cooed. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and sat Glaucon in her lap sideways and started to rock her back and forth rather motherly. “Look at me, okay?” She gently put her hand on Glaucon’s wet cheek to get her attention. “You’re safe. You’re right here in my apartment, safe and sound. Nobody is gonna hurt you anymore.” She wiped Glaucon’s face dry with one of her sheets and started to rub her back. 

“Nobody loves me, Dia! I’m all alone, and everybody hates me! Nobody will ever love me!” She managed to say in between sobs. 

“That’s not true, at all!” Dia shook her head and pulled her closer. “Maya and Elise, they love you! Hiroko and Kai, they love you! And I love you too, Glaucon! You’re my princess!” 

“No, you don’t! You hate-” Glaucon paused for a second. “I’m your princess?” She murmured. 

“Of course you are! You’re athletic, you’re a gorgeous model, and you have the best laugh I’ve ever heard!” Dia giggled. “And most importantly, you’re prideful! You always walk around with your head held up high, because you’re the freshest squid in Inkopolis, and you know it!” 

Glaucon turned around in Dia’s lap and gave her a big hug. Dia gave a gleeful mumble and flopped backwards back onto the bed. As Glaucon lay contented on top of her, she rubbed her back and planted a kiss on her forehead. The two squids stayed like that for most of the day, basking in the peaceful silence. 


	33. Safe in her Arms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can't have this much stress without a lil' fluff in between~! Dia finally gets into the swing of things when it comes to taking care of Glauc, but my god, imagine being in her situation??

“C’mon princess, it’s time to get up!”

“I don’t want to!” Glaucon protested as she clutched her pillow tightly in her arms. 

“You need to get up and come take a shower. You haven’t washed up in three days now, and you gotta do it eventually.” Dia explained calmly

“No!” Glaucon turned her back to Dia, who was standing in the doorway. 

Dia sighed and fished out some pajamas out of Glaucon’s backpack for her. “How about a bath?”

“No!”

“Okay… how about we take a bath together?” Dia cooed, only to be met with silence. “Is that a ‘yes’?”

Glaucon put her pillow down and took Dia’s hand, who led her to the bathroom. Dia began to draw a hot bath, and took a deep breath. This was technically the first time the two girls would be seeing each other completely naked. She shook her head a few times to prevent herself from fixating on the idea and getting excited. She needed to hold herself back, for both their sakes. 

As she expected, Glaucon froze up immediately and became almost infantile, as she began to clutch onto Dia for comfort. . She seemed to be regressing even more in the past few days. Regardless, Dia remained patient and helped her through. She gingerly helped the lavender squid undress and climb into her small bathtub. Dia did the same and climbed in her with her, opting to sit behind her to help ease her racing heart. 

She grabbed a washcloth and began to start bathing Glaucon, starting with her back. She tapped on her shoulder to get her to turn around. She then worked her way to her face, armpits, and torso. She stopped immediately as she got to her legs and crotch. She passed the washcloth to Glaucon, who thankfully took care of the rest herself. Dia breathed a sigh of relief and began to bathe herself. 

“See, it’s not so bad! You gotta keep taking care of yourself, okay?” She cooed, lovingly stroking Glaucon’s cheek. Much to her surprise, Glaucon grinned and leaned into her touch. 

Dia drained out the bathwater and towel dried Glaucon and herself. She then helped Glaucon dress herself and re-adjusted her tentacles back into her signature neat bob-cut before taking care of herself. She led Glaucon to the couch and place a warm blanket over her. She turned the tv on and put it on a Christmas movie, which were surprisingly still showing, and kissed the top of her head. 

“Wait for me right here, okay? I’m gonna do some laundry!” Dia smiled at her before heading to the bedroom. 

Oh, how she waited for this moment! She stripped the bed of all of its sheets, blankets, and pillowcases and stuffed them into a large hamper. They smelled stale, as they were drenched in sweat and tears. Since Glaucon hardly left the bed recently, she made a mental note to keep changing them whenever she did manage to leave. She then slid a sweater over her t-shirt and dragged the laundry behind her and left her apartment. 

As she headed down to the complex’s first floor to get to the laundry room, she figured that now was the best time to return the multitude of missed calls. She started with Fredrick, and sighed. She had a pretty clear idea of what he was going to say.

“Hey Cobalt! It’s me!” Dia said with a sing-song voice. 

“Holy shit, now you call me back!” Fredrick grumbled back. “What is going on Dia? Why did you ask to take the rest of December off from work? Don’t you realize that we gotta get ready for next year’s releases?”

“Listen!” Dia sighed. “I’m dealing with the worst family emergency I’ve ever dealt with in my life! And what sucks is that I can’t really explain what’s going on out of respect for her. Please understand, Frederick.”

Dia practically heard Frederick’s heart sink and hit the ground. “Is everybody okay? Are you okay?”

“For the most part, I’m alright. I-I’m taking care of somebody right now, and she’s so emotionally broken that I can hardly let her out of my sight without getting worried.. She’s… not okay at all, Fredrick. She’s helpless right now! It hurts me so much to see her like this!”

“I can only imagine, Dia. “ Fredrick’s tone softened. “Is there anything I can do for you?”

“Can you explain all of this to our manager? And could you maybe convince him to hold off on important shit until after the new year?”

“Do you think that all of this will clear up by then?”

Dia sighed. “Prayfully. But realistically, I don’t think so! I just need to take December to really just get her comfortable, and then afterwards, I’ll try and help her recover the rest of the way. I just need this time right now. “

“I understand, Dia. I’ll do what I can. And stay strong, you hear me?”

Dia held back a few tears and hung up the phone. She angrily tossed the first batch of laundry and doused it in soap. If she ever saw Aiden again, she swore to herself that she’d personally splat him herself. Dia slapped herself back into reality and started the washing machine. Next up on her list was Maya. She dialed her number in her phone and tapped her foot nervously.

“Hey, little sis!”

“Oh, onee-chan! It’s been a while!” Maya answered the phone happily. “Did you get my texts? We’re all planning to go stargazing later tonight, do you wanna come?”

Dia sighed heavily. “Maya-chan, can I tell you something important? Something very important that you can only tell the other girls, and nobody else?”

“G-go ahead, Dia onee-chan.” Maya replied, already expecting the worst. 

“Aiden and Glaucon broke up, and he hurt her so badly that she’s going through a bit of a mental breakdown right now.” She spoke with a lowered voice. Her heart nearly shattered as she heard Maya’s gasp in response. “She’s staying at my place for the time being, and… she’s really not doing good, Maya. She can’t hold any food down, she can’t take care of herself on her own, I have to do everything for her! It’s, it’s-”

“It must be so hard for you.” Maya sobbed into the phone, causing Dia to start breaking down as well. “Is there anything we can do to help, anything at all?” 

“Thank you, Maya. You’re such a good girl!” Dia sobbed. “Can you maybe stop by later to come get Glaucon’s apartment key? She needs some more of her clothes and stuff, and other things like her shampoo, and whatever else you can think of!”

“That’s the least we can do!” Maya managed to say through her tears. “Do you think I could see her, Dia?”

Dia shook her head. “You can, but I think it’s not a good idea right now. I don’t want you to feel the same pain that I’m feeling right now. “ 

“I-I get it. I’ll be there after dinner, okay?”

Dia hung up the phone and slammed her forehead on the top of the washing machine, which was beeping wildly to signal that it was done. Dia grabbed the damp sheets and tossed them into the dryer, and then put in the next load of blankets into the washer. She climbed on top of the washer and sobbed into her palms for a while before she had an epiphany. 

“That’s right- rice porridge!” She exclaimed through her tears. 

Back upstairs with mountains of clean bedding, Dia dragged it all through the door with a smile on her face. 

“I’m back, Glaucon!” She cheered. She set the laundry down in the bedroom and quickly made up the bed once again. Knowing Glaucon, she probably missed its warmth by now. All finished, dashed over to the couch and sat down to the lavender squid, and clasped her hand. 

“I’m so happy you’re back!” Glaucon whispered to her, her pink eyes lighting up with joy.

Dia couldn’t resist, and quickly kissed her on the cheek. “Are you hungry?” She asked. Glaucon replied with a silent nod. “I know a good recipe that I think you’ll like. It might even help your stomach settle!” 

Dia sprung up from the couch with a determined look in her eyes and tied her apron around her waist. She could've sworn that she heard Glaucon squeal a little bit as she did so, but did her best to ignore it. She placed a pot of water onto the stove to boil, and reached into her cabinet to grab some rice. Once the water began to reach a rolling bottle, she added the rice along with some salt, milk, and a pinch of heavy cream. She let that mixture bubble away as she reached into her spice rack, which was thankfully well stocked due to the holiday season. She added cinnamon and nutmeg to the rice, and then popped the lid onto the pot. She set a timer and began to dance around her kitchen. She was onto something!

Once the porridge was cooked through and reached a nice consistency, she popped open a can of her secret weapon- condensed sweetened milk. Then came a pinch of orange zest, vanilla, and two egg yolks for good measure. She sampled her work and nearly squealed with joy herself. The taste took her all the way back to her childhood. Each grain of rice was bathed in nostalgia, and more importantly- the taste of home. 

She dished Glaucon a bowl of the porridge and sat next to her on the couch. “I made this just for you, Glaucon! Do you wanna try some?” Dia cooed, getting all giddy. 

“Okay.” Glaucon nodded and opened her mouth. 

Dia scooped up a spoonful and blew on it few times before feeding it to her. Glaucon chewed on the soft rice grains few times and swallowed. The lavender squid’s eyes shimmered as a wide smile spread across her face.

“Do you like it?” Dia couldn’t hold back her excitement any longer. 

“I love it!” Glaucon exclaimed. “And I love you too, baby doll!” 

Dia froze in place. Glaucon was finally starting to sound like her old self once again! She felt her hands start to go weak, so she placed the bowl down on the table before throwing herself on top of Glaucon, much to her surprise. 

“I love you too, princess!” She nearly sobbed with joy. “You used to call me ‘baby doll’ all the time, remember! You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that. “ She sheepishly got off of her and handed her the bowl of porridge. “Sorry for squishing you. But anyways, eat some more so you can get some of your strength back!” 

Glaucon nodded and started to wolf down her meal. Dia sighed and gave her arms a stretch. She hardly realized just how utterly exhausted she was. Being a caretaker came with its own rewards, but at what cost?

The lavender squid gave her a worried look. “You should have some, too!” She said as she pulled on Dia’s sleeve. 

“Oh no, I’m okay! I’m not really that hungry-” Dia rambled on.

“Have some!” Glaucon furrowed her eyebrows, causing Dia to give in and giggle. 

“Okay princess, I will!” Dia took her tentacle and tucked it behind her ear, as she typically did when eating. She closed her eyes and opened her mouth. 

Glaucon grinned and fed her a spoonful of porridge, which for some reason, tasted sweeter than it did a few minutes ago. Thankfully, Glaucon was able to keep it all down, and was finally able to go to bed not feeling hungry. 


	34. Rent, Recipes, and Redamancy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Somebody's feeling a bit better nowadays!

Dia awoke a few mornings after to the softest touch she’s ever felt. Her eyes fluttered open gently, and a warm smile spread across her face. Much to her delight, she realized that it was Glaucon who was stroking her tentacles with a blissful grin on her face. 

“Hey there, beautiful! Did you sleep okay?” Dia mumbled, her voice still groggy.

“I did!” Glaucon replied. She let go of Dia’s tentacles and instead grabbed her hand. “Can we stay in bed all day?”

The blue Inkling furrowed her eyebrows. “Are you feeling okay?”

“Yup, I am!”

“Then, no! We’ve got stuff to do today! I gotta go grocery shopping so we can have clam chowder for dinner tonight!”

Glaucon groaned. She threw her arms around Dia’s waist from behind as she attempted to climb out of bed. “I love your cooking, but I love you more!” She whined. 

Dia nearly squealed. It was way too early to deal with these kind of emotions! She laughed quietly to herself and grabbed Glaucon’s legs as she stepped out of bed. Carrying her piggyback style, she carried her out to the living room’s couch. 

“I love you too, princess! Don’t worry; we’ll have all the time in the world to cuddle  _ after _ we get everything done, okay?”

Glaucon grinned in response, and the two girls began to run through their new morning routine. Now that Glaucon had regained some of herself, she began to start getting herself ready in the morning, much to Dia’s relief. The lavender squid also began to take on a few of the household’s chores, namely the dishes and the laundry. 

Once the two had finished their breakfast, Dia gave Glaucon a kiss on the cheek goodbye and left her apartment. She knew better than to linger or to look back, as Glaucon’s pitiful pink eyes could easily change the blue Inkling’s mind. With her checkbook and a pen in hand, Dia rode the next train to the Umi district- her first stop of many. 

“Um, excuse me, sir? I believe we spoke yesterday? My name is Dia, and I’m here to-“

“Oh yeah, you!” The scruffy Inkling grumbled. He beckoned to the blue Inkling to sit down in one of the chairs in front of his desk. “You’re here with Glaucon’s rent, right?”

“Yes, I am!” Dia sat down and breathed a sigh of relief. “Here’s the-“

“Hold on a second, lady.” He shook his head and glared intently over at Dia. It took every fiber of her being not to roll her eyes at him. “How do you know my tenant? And more importantly, where is she?”

“She’s staying at my place for the time being. She hasn’t been feeling well at all, so I’ve been taking care of her.” Dia explained quickly. She again tried to hand the landlord her check, only to be met with more questions.

“Are you…together?” He raised an eyebrow.

“No, we’re not! I just-“

“That’s right, you can’t be. I mean, not when her boyfriend is still in the picture.”

“Aiden?” Dia gasped a little. 

“Yeah, the guy with the mint tentacles! He’s been coming to her apartment every day for the last week and been raising hell! He goes and yells at her neighbors to tell him where she is, and oh my cod- he’s persistent!”

“Does he have a key?” Dia sat back in the chair and folded her arms. 

“I’m pretty sure he does.”

“Huh, that’s good to know.” The blue Inkling muttered to herself. “Well for now, Glaucon will be staying with me, and until she’s ready, I’ll be taking care of her bills.”

“You’re really something else, aren’t you?” The landlord smirked. “You must really love this girl to be paying with your own money.” He finally took the check from her hands, satisfied with the gossip he got out of her. He wrote her out a receipt and passed it over t o her. 

“I do…” Dia laughed awkwardly. 

“I’ve known Glauc for years now. I’ve known her long enough to know that you’ll be better for her than that asshole haunting my third floor.” He got up from his chair and stretched. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve gotta call a locksmith or something to change out her lock. I’ll call you to come and pick up her new key when it’s ready. 

Dia’s expression lit up with joy. “Thank you so much, sir!” She stuffed the receipt in her purse and practically skipped out of the office and back down to the train station. 

Next up on Dia’s to-do list was probably her favorite. Arriving in Inkopolis Square, the blue Inkling weaved her way through the crowd and made her way to her favorite café. Awaiting her was the usual crowd, but more importantly – her grandmother. As soon as they made eye contact, Dia rushed over to Sage and threw herself into her arms. 

“Why didn’t you come to me sooner? I don’t understand how you’ve been so strong during this whole disaster by yourself!” Sage sighed angrily as she stroked her granddaughter’s head. 

“It’s a lot…” Dia sighed. “I’ve got updates for you, though! But they’re not gonna be fun…” The blue Inkling took a seat at the counter and began to fill Sage in on what happened. She started from when Glaucon started vomiting up everything a few days ago and ended with the gossip about Aiden that she heard about today. 

Sage sighed heavily as she passed Dia an affogato. “Well, first of all, you should try some of this, dearie. You’re definitely going to need the energy.” She grinned as Dia’s face lit up at the taste. “And I’ll just tell you this, Dia. Love is all about the struggle.”

“Are you gonna try and tell me some nonsense like ‘suffering is beautiful’?” Dia groaned. 

The elderly Inkling snickered. “That’s not what I was going for! I’m just saying that all of this hardship the two of you are facing right now is what makes the good times worth it, you know?” 

Dia smiled gently and took a sip of her drink. She nodded her head a little before Sage continued on. 

“You’re so strong, dearie. If I were in your shoes at your age, I might’ve broken down by now myself.”

“I kinda did already.” Dia admitted frankly. “But, I put myself back together. Somehow.”

“Dia! Why didn’t you call me when that happened?”

“I’m sorry, Granny! It’s just that… well, you know me!” The blue Inkling attempted to explain. “You know I hate asking for help! But anyways, that’s not important right now!” 

“Really now?” Sage shook her head. 

“More importantly, can you tell me your recipe for clam chowder? You know, like the one you made for me when you brought me home?”

The elderly Inkling giggled to herself. “Of course I can! You’re planning to make it for her, huh?” Dia nodded her head excitedly in response. “Get yourself some paper, dearie- I’ll tell you what you need!”

“Glaucon, I’m home!” The blue Inkling cheered. She barreled through her front door with her arms full of grocery bags. 

Once she set them down on her kitchen counter, she stopped to look around her apartment in awe. The dishes in sink were done, the counter tops were shiny, the stove didn’t have a single drop of grease on it, and the tile was swept-recently it seemed. And that was only the kitchen! The living room was also lovingly tidied up, and from where the blue Inkling was standing, it looked like the bathroom was just as spotless as well. Just as Dia was about to call out to her again, Glaucon ran out of the bedroom and immediately wrapped the blue Inkling up into her arms. 

“You’re home!” The lavender squid squealed. She gave Dia a kiss on her cheek. 

“Hell yeah, I am!” Dia giggled. “You’ve been doing mad work, girl! How long did it take you to do all of this?”

“Maybe an hour and a half.” Glaucon took a step back and gently took Dia’s hands as she spoke. “Oh, and I even washed the sheets and stuff too!”

“You’re literally the best!” Dia exclaimed. She leaned in to give Glaucon a kiss on the lips, but quickly stopped herself. 

Glaucon sighed and picked up where she left off. She threw her arms around Dia’s waist and lovingly locked their lips together. Dia grumbled a little before eventually giving in to this nostalgic feeling. She wrapped her arms around the lavender squid and let the moment last just a little longer. 

When the pair finally pulled away, they both tried to say something at once. 

“You first…” Dia said sheepishly. 

“Um, okay!” Glaucon stammered. “I just wanted to say that I’ve really missed you.”

“I wasn’t gone that long!” Dia snickered. 

“Oh my cod…” The lavender squid giggled. “I meant like, I’ve missed being with you like this. You know, together!” Glaucon looked away nervously. “I…I’m still in love with you, Dia!” 

Dia smiled warmly. “Oh princess… I’m still in love with you, too!” She cupped Glaucon’s face in her palms. “We should have a talk. There’s so much I wanna say to you.”

“Me too.” Glaucon smiled shyly. “But after dinner!” 


	35. I Want to Be With You Forever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We've all been waiting patiently, it's time for a long awaited explanation! Also cute shit incoming, get yo' popcorn

“Are you cold?” 

The blue Inkling wrapped yet a second handmade scarf around Glaucon’s nose and mouth, much to her amusement. 

“I think I’m good, baby!” She snickered. 

“Okay, fine! I just don’t want you to get sick!” Dia explained firmly. 

Up on the roof of Dia’s apartment building, the starry sky above Inkopolis smiled down on the city like a lover’s gaze. The two girls lied down next to each other on the concrete of the rooftop and held hands. Although neither of them knew much about constellations, or even space, the raw beauty of the night sky was more than enough. 

Glaucon took a deep breath and shifted onto her side to face Dia. “Is it alright if I go first?” She whispered. 

“Of course you can. You’ve been waiting for way too long, haven’t you?” Dia smiled gently with a nod. 

“Wow, you’re right! Um, okay…” Glaucon mumbled. “Lemme start with Aiden I guess. We went on vacation to Mahi-Mahi Resort back in July, and it actually went okay.”

Dia raised her eyebrows and rolled onto her side to face Glaucon, and gave her full attention. 

“We talked about what we wanted in the relationship. Aiden wanted me to be his wife and have kids with him.” She continued. “I didn’t know what to say. Like I’ve said before, I only started dating him out of obligation, really. I think I said something like, ‘attention’ or ‘I want you to understand me’, or something like that. And then after we came back, things were pretty much okay. I quit modelling like he asked me to. Flint and Josh kept cheering us on. It was strangely okay. “

“What happened that made you guys break up?” Dia asked softly, as her grip on Glaucon’s hand started to tighten. 

Glaucon sighed heavily. “Well, one thing that he had always been annoying about was having me move in. I didn’t want to, and I always dodged the question. On Christmas Eve, we started talking about like, our future and what not. He asked me again to move in that night. I said ‘no’. And then after that…” She stopped to wipe away a tear. “After that, he just kinda, blew up. He started screaming at me! He told me that if he just moved in with him, I could be his trophy wife, and I would never have to work again. He started calling me a ‘dumbass whore’ because I wouldn’t take him up on the offer. He said that he’s the only one who could love a ‘whore’ like me, and that nobody else could ever love me like he does. And then… and then I punched him.”

Dia gasped. She used her sleeve to wipe away the tears streaming down Glaucon’s face. 

“I told him that I wasn’t going to take his shit anymore, and then he started beating on me. I-I somehow managed to get him off me and run away, but I really wasn’t in good shape- you saw me the next day!” Glaucon’s voice cracked. “I never in a million years expected this from him, you know! He was good for me, yeah, but once I started to disagree with him, he turned into a different person! This is the same guy who taught me how to use my Luna Blaster, you know? The same guy who used to train new Ink Athletes in his spare time! It’s just…”

“Jarring, huh?” Dia whispered. “Nobody could’ve seen that coming, Glaucon. I’m just grateful that you got away when you did.”

“Yeah, you’re right!” Glaucon nodded. “And I can’t say this enough, but thank you for taking care of me, Dia! You literally saved me- I don’t know what I would’ve done if I didn’t have you!” 

Dia grinned a little bit. “It was the right thing to do- you don’t have to thank me.” She ran her fingers through her tentacles nervously. “And besides, I love you, Glaucon! I always have. You mean so much to me…”

Glaucon’s eyes shimmered under the starlight. “I love you more, Dia! I’ve never loved anybody this much before! I mean, after what happened at the Manta Ray’s Den, I literally couldn’t stop thinking about you! And I feel horrible that I missed your birthday because of that asshole!” She grumbled. 

“How did you know?” Dia’s eyes lit up gleefully.

“Maya told me!” Glaucon explained. “She told me about the whole party and everything. I felt so bad that I actually gave her and Elise money to get you something.”

“The eyeshadow palate!” Dia exclaimed. “That’s explains a lot though! I think that palate was close to 8,000 gold, I’m pretty sure?”

“Eh, that’s not bad.” Glaucon snickered. “If it’s for you, it’s worth it!” 

Both girls burst into a quiet fit of giggles. They both shifted back onto their backs and continued to gaze up at the stars. A few blissful moments of silence passed before Glaucon piped up again.

“What did you wanna say, baby doll?”

“Oh! Um…”Dia stammered. “I-I know that I’m going back to work soon, but if you want, you’re more than welcome to keep staying here with me as long as you want. I really don’t mind, you know!” Her face flushed beet red, which was thankfully not too obvious under the night sky.

Glaucon grinned. “Can I move in?”

“What?!” Dia exclaimed as she sat up suddenly.

“Is that okay with you?”

“Of course it is! It’s just that…” Dia began to fumble with her words once again. “I wasn’t ready. There’s something more important I wanted to ask you before we get too far with that…”

Glaucon sat up and took Dia’s hands gently. She gazed lovingly into her eyes as she waited eagerly for the words she’d been waiting to hear.

“Can we…can you…” She stammered. “Will you be my girlfriend, Glaucon?”

“I thought you’d never ask!” The lavender squid squealed. She got up from her spot and sat down right in Dia’s lap while facing her, her legs straddling her hips. “How long have we been saying how much we love one another, and only now have we made it official?” She jeered. 

“Oh, shut up already!” Dia snickered. “We both made things really complicated, okay? But if we’re being honest, I’m glad that we’re dating now instead of when we first met.”

“Same. I know for a fact that you’re the one for me now, and you…you’ve changed, baby.” Glaucon whispered into her ear lovingly. “You’re so confident now that you’ve gotten your dream job! You so different now, and in the best way possible!”

“Yeah, you’re right!” Dia gently kissed her girlfriend’s neck. “C’mon princess, let’s take this to the bedroom!” She whispered seductively. 

Glaucon raised her eyebrow curiously. “Are you being serious?” She asked excitedly. “You’re joking, right?”

“I want you to fuck me!” She whispered into her ear. “I’ve been saving myself for my first love, and that’s you, princess!”

Now it was Glaucon’s turn to start blushing profusely. She gave her girlfriend a kiss before the pair got up and went back to Dia’s apartment. Needless to say, both Inklings slept amazingly well that night. 


	36. Getting the Crew Back Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Glauc heads out to go see the girls again!

The piercing sound of their alarm woke the two lovers out of their blissful sleep. Dia and Glaucon groaned simultaneously as Glaucon clumsily slapped the clock to shut it off. 

“Why is it today already?” Dia whined. Instead of making an attempt to get out of bed, she instead clung onto her girlfriend and buried her face in her chest. 

The lavender squid stroked her tentacles lovingly and sighed. “I don’t want you to go either, but you gotta-“ She interrupted herself with a loud yawn.”You gotta make that money, girl!” 

“I know, I know!” She grumbled. She rolled over and took a step out of bed, only to clumsily trip over her own feet. She snickered at herself while Glaucon gave her a look of concern. 

“You’re still sore, aren’t you?” Glaucon shook her head. “I told you, you shouldn’t go at it so rough the first time!” 

Dia giggled and reached for her wardrobe to find an outfit for the day. “Oh shut up, it was worth it!” 

Glaucon sighed a little louder this time, but smiled. The two girls began to run through their morning just fine, until it was time for Dia to leave. Glaucon peered over at her from the living room couch as Dia began to put on her shoes in the doorway. Her pink eyes looked almost pitful as she wordlessly watched from afar. Eventually, the guilt became too much for her girlfriend. 

“You gotta stop that!” Dia grumbled. 

“I probably should!” Glaucon laughed awkwardly.

Dia shook her head with frustration. “Anyways, what do you have planned for today? You promised yourself that you would start going outside again, right?” 

“Oh yeah, that’s right!” Glaucon clapped her hands together. “Yeah, I’ll probably go for a walk or something. Maybe even work a little bit.”

“You sure? Don’t push yourself to get back into battling if you’re not feeling up to it!” Dia lowered her voice with concern.

“Well, I don’t wanna be freeloading at your place-“

“Our place, princess.” 

Glaucon stopped herself and blinked a few times in disbelief. “W-what?” She mumbled.

“You’re moving in, right?” Dia grinned and walked over to Glaucon. She took her hands and sat down next to her on the couch. “If this is our place, then don’t think that you’re freeloading. You’re just on a break right now, which is why I’m supporting us. Then, only when you’re feeling ready, then we can split the bills and whatnot, okay?”

Glaucon nodded her head silently, still stunned from all of this. 

“This was your idea, you idiot! I don’t know why you’re so…flabbergasted from what I said!” Dia laughed, getting a rise out of her girlfriend as well.

“You right!” She snicked. Glaucon gave Dia a quick kiss on the lips and gazed at her lovingly. “Okay baby, I’ll take it easy for a little bit more. Now don’t let me keep you!” 

“Good~!” Dia grinned, feeling a little proud of herself. She gave her a girlfriend another kiss before leaving the house.

Glaucon sighed deeply. She stretched out on the couch and reached for her phone for the first time in weeks. She had a feeling that it would be overloaded with missed calls from Aiden and her guy friends, and sadly, she was correct. Among all of her other notifications, there were about thirty or so missed calls from Aiden and close to a hundred unread texts from the Inkstrike group chat. The lavender squid glanced through them all quickly before taking a look at the girls’ group chat. She smiled from ear to ear as she read through all of the messages, feeling that familiar sense of closeness. Glaucon grabbed a jacket, slipped on her boots, and left the apartment as well. It was a Monday morning, but she figured that she would take her chances.

Glaucon rang the doorbell on the lovely townhouse, only to be met by the loudest gasp and chorus of squeals from the Octoling twins. 

“I can’t believe this!” Elise beamed. “How long has it been since we’ve heard from you, and now all of a sudden you roll up onto our doorstep?” 

Glaucon laughed sheepishly, and Elise beckoned for her to come inside. The two sisters both wrapped her up in a huge hug.

“Ellie, go wake up the other two!” Maya exclaimed suddenly. “They’re gonna be so hyped!” 

With a nod, Elise did as she was told and bolted up the stairs, heading to the two bedrooms. Maya gave Glaucon kiss on the cheek before embracing her a little tighter.

“Dia told me everything, Glaucon!” She mumbled somberly. “I couldn’t tell the others because I promised not to, and…and…” A few small tear streamed down her cheeks as she spoke. “ And I’ve been so worried!” 

Glaucon took out her handkerchief from her back pocket and danitly dried the Octoling’s tears. “You were so strong for my sake, huh?” She cooed. “You’re tough as nails, girl. But you don’t have to be anymore.” She gingerly kissed Maya’s forehead. 

Maya picked up her head and looked over at Glaucon with a puzzled expression. “Why?”

“Because…I’ll come clean today. You guys deserve to know, too! I’m doing much better than I was before, and I’m ready to talk about it.. ” Glaucon declared softly while gazing into Maya’s eyes. 

Just as the two girls had come to an emotional understanding, the moment was ruined by Kai yelling. 

“You’re alive???” Kai shouted. She flung herself into Elise’s arms instinctively, as if she still couldn’t believe that the lavender squid was truly in front of her. “Where the hell have you been? We’ve all been trying to contact you!”

Glaucon chuckled. “A lot of shit’s happened! It’s too much to explain over text, that’s why I’m-“

She could hardly finish her thought before she was interrupted by the impact of Hiroko tackling her to the ground. Before Glaucon could even process what had happened, the green Inkling had her pinned down on the floor, her hands holding down Glaucon’s wrists. Much to everybody’s surprise, fat, watery tears spilled from Hiroko’s eyes on onto the lavender squid’s face.

“I HATE you!” Hiroko sobbed. “How can you just abandon us for so long without even telling us what happened?!” 

“Hiroko-“

“What kind of friend are you? I thought you loved us? I thought…I thought something horrible happened to you? I thought the worst, okay?” She managed to say in between sobs. 

“Hiro-kun. Don’t cry, I’m here now.” Glaucon wiggled one of her wrists free and reached up to stroke the younger Inkling’s cheek. “I’m sorry for keeping all of this from you guys. “

Hiroko burst into a full on sobbing fit and collapsed onto Glaucon’s chest. She clutched onto her friend’s shirt like a child for comfort while Glaucon rubbed the girl’s back and held her closely. 

“Well, I guess this is good a time as any to start?” Glaucon chuckled. “Do you guys wanna get comfy before I start spillin’ my guts?”

The other three girls nodded and all took a seat down on the ground next to the two Inklings, all while Hiroko wrapped her arms around Glaucon’s chest and looked at her intently through her tear-moistened eyes. 

After Glaucon was finished, the girls could hardly do anything but nod their heads silently with looks of horror on their faces. Hiroko, still sitting on top of Glaucon’s stomach, sighed heavily and spoke first.

“So…when are we gonna get rid of him?” Hiroko asked with a dark look on her face. 

“More like, ‘how’?” Kai snickered. “Do you think we can handle it ourselves, Hiro? Or should we get some help?” The yellow Inkling clenched her fists with a scowl on her face. 

“Stop it, you two!” Maya shouted, causing Kai and Hiroko fold their arms and sigh. “Anyways, I can’t even imagine how…painful the whole thing must’ve been for you.”

“Yeah, seriously!” Elise mumbled. “ What would’ve happened if Dia wasn’t there?”

“I don’t wanna imagine that.” Glaucon sighed. She laid flat on her back and stared up at the ceiling fan. “Good cod, I really don’t even wanna think about that!” 

Maya stretched out on the ground next to Glaucon and rested her head on her hands. “You don’t have to, Glaucon. You have us. “She gently took the older girl’s hand in hers.

“Yeah, and you always will!” Elise chirped. “We’re all gonna be best friends forever!” 

“We need to all start hanging out again.” Kai yawned, and sprawled out on the ground next to the younger Octoling sister. “I really miss that.”

“Same.” Hiroko smiled. “You know I’m serious when I’m agreeing with her.” She glanced over at Kai, getting a chuckle out of her. “And to be honest, I miss seeing you and Dia together- you two are hella cute.”

“Right?” The other three girls giggled together. 

Glaucon looked away nervously as her face flushed red. “Um, actually… speaking of that! “ She stammered. “Dia and I are dating now.”

All of the girls stopped laughing immediately, and their expressions all became ones of shock and pure glee. Several moments of painfully awkward silence passed before Kai finally broke it.

“Well, that took longer than it should of!” The yellow Inkling exclaimed. 

“That’s for damn sure!” Hiroko nodded in agreement. 

“Since when?” The twins chirped up.

“Since last night.” Glaucon replied softly. Her reply was met with a chorus of cheers and giggles. “But yeah, we’re official, I’m moving in- things are looking a hell of a lot better now!” 

“We’re so happy for you, Glauc!” Elise cheered. “Now all we gotta do now is to plan the wedding-”

“Slow down there, girl.” The lavender Inkling snickered. “Yes, we should! But not right now, obviously. There’s one more thing I gotta do before I lose my chance.” Glaucon’s face wore a look of determination as she got up from her spot on the ground and gathered her things. 

“What’s that?” The five girls asked simultaneously.

“I gotta get a job.”

“Ooh, you’re gonna go back to work for Tentatek?” Maya squealed with delight.

“Nah, “ Glaucon chuckled. “Somewhere even better.”


	37. In the King's Court

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why settle for Tentatek when you could do even better? Glauc boldly decides to march right into the Rockenburg office for a job there!

Bravado was her middle name. Charisma was her last. But as Glaucon stood in front of the Rockenburg company headquarters, all of it left her. Clutching her portfolio and resume in hand, the lavender Inkling quite literally was shaking in her boots. 

“I can do this!” She mumbled to herself. “I dragged my ass out of the boondocks, I dragged myself outta C-, I got away from that asshole- I can do anything!” 

With enough courage in her to regain her composure, Glaucon stood up straight and marched into the lobby, her pink eyes shimmering proudly. A gaggle of businessmen and women stopped their conversations as the watched the lavender Inkling come in, and even the secretary dropped her phone as she recognized the once legendary model sashay towards her desk.

Clad in her Octoglasses, Inky White Rider, and Moto Boots, Glaucon slapped down her portfolio on the desk and folded her hands neatly over them.

“I want a job.” 

The secretary made a futile attempt of replying, and instead nodded her head vigorously and called her boss, the King of this castle.

“The King is busy with something now, but if you can wait a few minutes, he’ll be with you soon enough.” The lady stammered. “You can take the elevator up to the 10th floor to his office and wait there for him.”

“Thank you kindly.” Glaucon smiled warmly and winked at the other Inkling, and headed into the elevator. 

As she rode the elevator up to the top floor, Glaucon did everything in her power not to hyperventilate. She mumbled wildly to herself, getting out all of her nervous energy sooner rather than later.

“Oh my freakin’ cod. I’m actually insane, I’ve finally gone mad! Never in a million years would I ever think of doing this. Yup, love makes you do stupid things- I’ve pretty damn sure!” She mumbled all in one breath. At the mention of love, her thoughts immediately went to her girlfriend. 

“Heh, this is all her fault.” She snickered. She took a deep breath to steady herself and smiled. “She knows me better than I do sometimes. She...She built me back up when I was at my worst. Yup, this is absolutely her fault. And I’m so damn grateful.”

With that, the elevator stopped at the tenth floor, and out Glaucon strutted into the office of the King himself. 

Surprisingly, the office smelled strongly of food. Glaucon glanced around, a little shocked, and took in the lavish space. Family portraits adorned the walls alongside various smaller prints of some of the company’s more influential models. The office space had a red and gold theme to it, somewhat reminiscent of a monarchy- fitting to the boss himself. 

Two burly Inklings and another equally as strong looking Octoling lounged around in the King’s office chairs. The three men seemed to be having a casual, almost familial conversation before Glaucon stepped in. 

The King’s expression melted from one of glee to one of annoyance as Glaucon entered his line of sight. He arose from his chair regally and beckoned to the lavender Inkling to take a seat. She did as she was instructed to, and took a seat between the other Inkling and the Octoling.

“I know who you are.” The King growled.

“I know who you are.” Glaucon retorted. “You’re King Klaus Rockenburg. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” She dipped her head respectfully, as if to bow to him.

“Yeah, sure.” He replied hastily. “So, you’re here for a job?”

“That’s correct.”

“And what makes you think I would give you one?”

“Well, for starters- the fact that you invited me into your throne room without even seeing H.R., much less even fill out an application kinda… gave me the idea.” Glaucon’s expression remained icy cool as her palms began to sweat profusely.

“Cocky, aren’t you? But you aren’t completely wrong.” Klaus growled with amusement. “And why should I hire you, anyways?”

“Because I’m the face of this company. Well, I should be.” Glaucon declared, her expression unwavering.

All three men gasped at the same time. Klaus chuckled heartily as he rested his head on his hand. “Let me see your portfolio for a minute.”

Glaucon passed him the folder and gazed at him intently, refusing to look away. Klaus casually leafed through the glossy prints of Glaucon’s past work with an amused smile.

He looked up from the paperwork to glance over at Glaucon, then to the other Inkling, and finally to the Octoling man. He slammed the folder shut and cracked his knuckles. 

“Elias is going to be so pissed.”

With this one line, the three men erupted into a chorus of laughter, almost to the point of tears. Although she was even more confused than before, Glaucon wrung her hands together and maintained eye contact with Klaus.

“Your first day is tomorrow- be prepared to shoot as soon as you walk in.” Klaus slammed his hands on the desk and exclaimed with glee. 

“For eel?!!” Glaucon squealed, breaking her composure. 

“Yes, I’m for eel!” He laughed back. “This is the best day of my life!”

“Me too- wait, what?” Glaucon stammered.

“Let me explain!” The Octoling piped up. “And before I forget, hi Glaucon! Do you remember me?” 

Puzzled, Glaucon wracked her brain as she stared at his face before finally remembering. “Oh, Pierre! It’s good to see you, but what are you doing here?” She replied. 

“It’s good to see you too!” Pierre smiled warmly. “I do photography for both Rockenburg and Tentatek. And to be honest, I’m good friends with both of their CEO’s.”

Glaucon nodded her head slowly as she desperately tried to keep up with all of this new info.

“Anyways… Elias is the CEO of Tentatek, remember?”

“No??” Glaucon replied. “I’ve never met the CEO when I was working there.”

“Because he’s so stuck up like that!” Klaus chimed in. The other Inkling man nodded his head vigorously in agreement.

“As you can tell, Klaus has a bit of hatred, no- rivalry going on with Elias. They grew up together, if that explains any of it. “ Pierre continued. “For years, Elias used to rub it in Klaus’ face how he had this young, promising model who he picked up randomly from a Ranked battle. He would go on and on about how talented she was-”

“And then I used to say that the only reason she was good at modeling was because of her raw talent, not because his modelling classes were any good!” Klaus shouted, getting more and more heated at just the mention of his rival.

“And if you haven’t caught on by now, that model was you. And now Klaus has his rival’s trump card in his company, and now all hell is going to break loose between these boys!” Pierre sighed. 

“Wait!” Glaucon exclaimed. “So I’m just some trophy in your dumb little feud?”

“Oh gosh.” Klaus exclaimed. “ No, absolutely not! I’ve been wanting you in my company for years now-”

“Uh-huh.”

“I promise that you’ll be treated well here! As of right now, you’re a princess in my court, okay?”

“A princess??” Glaucon’s tone did a 180 at the sound of the title. She couldn’t help but think of her girlfriend. 

“Yup! But don’t act like one, though! I think you’ll do your best work here if you stay as fearsome as you were when you walked out of that elevator.” Glaucon giggled with agreement. “And, because you have so much experience, you can name your salary. Is 25,000 gold per hour good?” 

Glaucon’s jaw nearly hit the ground. “I...I um-” She stammered.

“30,000 per hour.” Pierre chimed in.

“Um, how about 35,000 per hour?” Glaucon replied softly.

“Huh? 45,000 an hour you said?” Klaus jeered. “That’s no problem, I’ll be sure to let H.R. know when they start doing your new hire paperwork and stuff.”

“Thank you so much, sir!” Glaucon exclaimed, nearly on the verge of tears. 

“I should be thanking you, honestly!” The King let out a hearty laugh from his belly, his expression gleeful. “Wait, one more thing.” He looked at the other Inkling, who was mostly quiet for the whole conversation, and gave him a stern look.

“Show some manners, kid. Introduce yourself to my new poster girl.” Klaus grumbled. 

“Ah damn, you right.” The other Inkling stretched out his arms and chuckled. “My name’s Fritz. Fritz Rockenburg. I”m Klaus’s little brother.” He extended his hand and shook Glaucon’s happily. “I”m the President of Kingfish Records and um…” 

Fritz’s voice trailed off as he noticed Glaucon’s expression change into one of utter surprise. He snickered to himself as he continued on. “Yeah, I’m your girlfriend’s boss. It’s nice to meet you.”

In that moment, Glaucon desperately wished she had a pillow to scream into or something. Was was today, even?

“It’s um...it’s really nice to meet you too…” Glaucon searched her head for the right words, doing her best not to freak out. “Um...thanks for giving my girlfriend her dream job.”

“Thanks for being my brother’s dream employee!” He chirped back. 

The two laughed awkwardly together before Fritz’s eyes lit up with an idea. “Oh! Speaking of, do you have a picture of her?”

“Dia? Yeah, why?” Glaucon’s tone grew suspicious and defensive.

“Pull up a pic real quick! I need to show her to Klaus- he’s gonna freak out!”

“Because she’s so beautiful or something?” Glaucon pulled out her phone and scrolled through her gallery.

“Kinda!”

Glaucon settled on a cute picture of Dia holding up double peace signs and handed her phone over to Fritz, who passed it to Klaus. As soon as his eyes focused on the Inkling girl’s face, he began squealing like an excited child.

“Oh my cod, Fritz! You were so right, I can’t believe it!!” Klaus rambled on. 

“Can’t believe what?” Glaucon asked, her voice tinged with annoyance.

“She looks just like my daughter- but grown up!!” Klaus exclaimed joyfully.

Glaucon burst into laughter, and her expression softened immediately. “You have a daughter, sir?”

Klaus grinned widely and nodded. “Yes, her name is Adeline, and she’s my pride and joy!” He pulled out a framed picture of his three year old daughter from his desk and showed it to Glaucon. “My husband says that I spoil her, but she’s so cute- how can I not?”

The four cephalopods all laughed together like old friends. Just as Glaucon was gathering her things to leave, Pierre pulled her aside with a smile on his face.

“Before you go, can we talk about something that I think will benefit you?”


	38. An Invitation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not the fun kind of invitation tho

“That shit was wild, baby doll! And then after Klaus got done gushing over his kid- Pierre offered to mentor me in photography! Picky Pierre, Dia! I can’t believe this!!” Glaucon explained in between bites of pasta. 

“Wait, back up for a sec!” Dia gave her girlfriend a puzzled look. “I thought you were modeling for Rockenburg, not doing photographing the shoots?” She crossed her legs and took a sip of her wine. 

“Um, both! Kinda!”

“I’m listening~!”

“So, you know how models don’t really model forever?” Glaucon sighed. “After you hit like, 30, you kinda get put on the backburner. Pierre was thinking that if I can do photography, I can still work for the company, even after my modelling career eventually dies out!” 

Dia grinned from ear to ear. “So, not only did you land the dream job you’ve been wanting since you were 14, but you also made friends with the King himself, and even secured yourself a job for the future? Is there anything you can’t do, Princess?”

Glaucon chuckled heartily. “I can do anything as long as you’re with me!” She admitted softly, her gaze becoming warmer. “When I’m with you, you don’t try and hold me back. You encourage me to do better, and be more ambitious! I almost feel like I’m finally reaching my full potential, you know?”

Dia’s eyes watered slightly. “I didn’t do that much for you…”

“You believed in me, Dia! And when I was at my worst, you… you told me how great I am!” Glaucon stammered. “Nobody's ever done that for me before!” 

“Glaucon…”

“I’m telling the truth, baby doll!” Glaucon grinned. “Anyways, how was work today?”

“Oh…” Dia’s voice trailed off. “It was good, I guess? Not much happened.”

Glaucon furrowed her eyebrows with concern. “Did Fredrick throw any shade?”

“Nah, he was pretty chill.” Dia replied softly, her focus turning to her plate.

“Anko’s still edgy?”

“Edgier than the kitchen knives.”

“Momo’s still stuttering?”

“She’s fine….”

Glaucon folded her arms. “Momo always stutters!” 

Dia snapped back into reality and laughed awkwardly. “Oh, yeah! You’re totally right!”

The lavender Inkling sighed and rested her chin on her hands. “Are you okay? You seem a little off!”

“I’m fine~~~!” Dia chirped. “I’m just tired, Princess. That’s all!” 

“Then why are your fists shaking like that?!” Glaucon’s tone became stern.

Dia glanced at her small fists only to realize that her girlfriend was right- she didn’t even notice when she started doing that.

“Good cod, you know me so well…” Dia laughed sheepishly.

“I know every inch of you, woman!” Glaucon jeered. “Especially after last night-”

“Shut up!” Dia squealed. “But anyways, you’re right. I”m annoyed. I’m actually furious if we’re being honest.”

“What happened?” Glaucon persisted. “Tell me everything!”

Dia sighed deeply and got up from the dining table. She helped Glaucon wash the dishes quickly before the two girls plopped down on the couch together. Dia groaned and laid her head on her girlfriend’s lap.

“So, when I was on the train to work today, I felt like I was being followed.” The baby blue Inkling began. “And I was right. I thought they were just fans or something, but they looked really familiar. Then, right before I got on the train back home, I saw them again. I got really scared and called them out. And then…. I realized that it was your friends Joshua and Flint. “

“WHAT?” Glaucon exclaimed. 

“Yeah. “ Dia replied. “I asked them what they want, and they asked me how you were doing and stuff. We talked about you, and then they told me that they want me to meet them in Inkopolis Square  tomorrow after work, like around six. 

“To do  _ what? _ ” Glaucon was practically screaming. 

“They wanna talk about the whole Aiden situation.”

“Dia, it’s a trap!” 

“I know it’s a trap!” She picked up her head to took over at Glaucon. “But I’m going anyways, ‘cuz if I tell them off, they’ll leave us alone!” 

“What if he’s there?!” Glaucon began to tremble slightly.

“Then I’ll tell his ass off too! I”m not scared of him Glaucon, I’ll break his nose after what he did to you!” Dia growled. “I’m gonna be fine, I just….” She sighed deeply. “I just gotta rest up, okay?” 

Dia gave her girlfriend a kiss before retreating to their bedroom. Glaucon groaned and flopped face-first into the couch. As much as she tried to calm herself down, nothing could stop her racing thoughts. She got up suddenly to go check on Dia, only to find that she was out cold. 

“Poor baby doll, this is killing her.” Glaucon sighed softly. She pulled the blanket over her girlfriend and lovingly stroked her tentacles. “There has to be something I can do, right?” She mumbled to herself. 

As soon as she finished her thoughts, she noticed Dia’s phone light up with a notification from Fredrick. Glaucon’s eyes shimmered as another genius idea came to mind. All she needed was to crack her girlfriend’s password!

She scooped up Dia’s phone in her hands and immediately began testing all of the numerical passwords she could think of. She first tried the code, 0722. The phone rejected it.

“Well, I guess her birthday is too obvious!” Glaucon snickered. 

She entered the code 3489. Another negative. 

“Damn, I thought that was clever!” Glaucon sighed. “Well, lemme try this one, but as a joke. “ 

The lavender Inkling entered the code 0515, and nearly burst into tears as the phone accepted it and unlocked. 

“That’s my...that’s my birthday!” Glaucon practically sobbed. “I can’t…. she’s too good for me, holy shit! Anyways, I gotta get to work!”

Glaucon quietly snuck out of the bedroom, doing her best not to wake Dia, and lounged out on the couch as she began her plan of attack. Her first step- adding some contacts from Dia’s phone into hers.


	39. #RallyBehindDia Chat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She needs more than just the girls- time to call in the rest of the squad!

Glauc&Roll: Ladies and gentlemen. I need all of you more than ever.

Glac&Roll: I know this is so sudden and so late at night, but I really need you guys to help me out. 

KingC0balt: WHO TF IS THIS

KingC0balt: AND HOW DID YOU GET MY NUMBER?

ZackAttack: Omg, Freddie

ZackAttack: Turn off caps lock first

Glauc&Roll: I”m Glaucon, Dia’s girlfriend.

LemonBae: Hell yeah she is!

Hatchin♥: Wait, what’s wrong Glauc??

KyuT: Something bad’s going on

San_tana: Yeah, explain what’s up, then we can figure out names and stuff

LemonBae: Definitely! I’ve never seen Glauc type with such perfect punctuation before

Glauc&Roll: ….

Glauc&Roll: fuck you Kai

LemonBae: I’m free Wednesday ;)

LadyAn: wtf kinda chat did i just get put into???

KawaiiPeachGirl: oh no

KawaiiPeachGirl: did i just get put into one of those dirty R18 group chats???

LadyAn: momo we gotta dip

KawaiiPeachGirl: I dunno how ;v;

San_tana: god dammit kai

KingC0balt: Momo, Anko

KingC0balt: Stay for a while, let Dia’s gf explain herself

KingC0balt: Glaucon, the stage is yours. 

Glauc&Roll: Okay, I’ll keep this as short as possible but

Glauc&Roll: If you don’t know, I went through a horrible breakup with my ex-boyfriend last month

Glauc&Roll: He’s the abusive type, so Dia’s been keeping me safe at her place while all of that went on (which kinda lead to us dating, but that’s beside the point)

Glauc&Roll: My ex’s two friends managed to contact Dia, and they told her to meet them at Inkopolis square tomorrow around 6

Glauc&Roll: I told Dia not to go, and that it’s a trap, but she’s stubborn, and she says she wants to go anyways

KingC0balt: Say no more.

Glauc&Roll: Will you be there for her? Make sure she’s not by herself? There’s no telling what’s gonna go down tomorrow night.

KingC0balt: You can bet your ass I’ll be there with her. 

KingC0balt: Not only is she my co-worker, but she’s my god damn best friend. Hell, she’s even more like a sister to me!!

KingC0balt: Glaucon. I swear to you, that as long as I’m still breathing- I will protect her. 

KingC0balt: Now the real question- how many of you bastards are coming with me??

San_tana: I will

LemonBae: Aye, yeah!

ZackAttack: fuck yeah, baby!!

KawaiiPeachGirl: um

LadyAn: I’ll be there with my crow bar

Hatchin♥: Even if it’s dangerous, I’ll still be there! 

KyuT: Me too! Honestly, that jerk doesn’t even scare me, his crew’s got nothing on us!!

KingC0balt: FUCK YEA

KawaiiPeachGirl: um

KingC0balt: What about you, Momo? If you’re scared, you don’t have to go.

KawaiiPeachGirl: I’m going!!!!

LemonBae: HELL YEAH

KyuT: HELL YEAH

Glauc&Roll: I owe you guys my LIFE

Glauc&Roll: I’ll try and be there as soon as I get outta work, okay?

ZackAttack: Perfect! We’ll be unstoppable!

KingC0balt: Glaucon.

Glauc&Roll: Yeah?

KingC0balt: One more thing. Actually, everyone should remember this for tomorrow.

KingC0balt: You see this group chat right here? We’re a family.

KingC0balt: We’re a god damn family. 

KingC0balt: Dia brought us together by some crazy miracle, and we’re gonna support her like she’s done for all of us. 

KingC0balt: We’re gonna be just fine tomorrow. 

KingC0balt: Now everybody, get some sleep. 

KingC0balt: We headin’ to the streets tomorrow, fam.


	40. This is Goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Climax, y'all! This whole thing is dramatic af, I know- but I was heavily inspired by a ton of good scenes in some anime I watched recently XD  
The biggest influence was Ancient Magus Bride where the protag defeats the main villan by sympathizing with him, and then the other was Bunny Girl Senpai! (Mainly bc that protag wins an argument by shouting that he was a virgin, which had me wheezing, lmaoo~)

“I’ll do it ‘cuz I got my crew behind me-” Frederick rapped, his hands stuck in his pockets with his nose high in the air.

“My family!” Finishing the line was of course, was the giddy voices of the girls and Zack who were all tagging along.

Dia groaned loudly as she turned around to face the gang of cephalopods behind her. “ I love you guys very much, but are you sure that this is a good idea?”

Now it was Frederick’s turn to groan and complain. “Shut your mouth, we’re going with you!”

“But-”

“But what?”

“I don’t want the girls involved!” Dia exclaimed. “I have no idea what Aiden’s gonna do!”

Much to everyone’s surprise, Elise pushed Frederick aside and walked right up to Dia’s face, and scoffed loudly.

“Why don’t you want us involved?” Elise grumbled.

“Because!” Dia grabbed her gently by the shoulders. “This isn’t something little girls should be apart of! It’s dangerous, okay?”

Suddenly, without warning, Elise slammed Dia up against the nearest wall and pinned her down, her hands on her wrists.

“Um….wh-what are you doing?” Dia stammered, nearly breathless from the whole experience. 

“These so called ‘little girls’ your talking about- they’re not going anywhere! In fact, I think we’re better equipped for this whole thing more than you are!” Elise grumbled, refusing to break eye contact. “Two of us were soldiers, one of those two being the Hero of Inkopolis! Maya and I were also soldiers, but we were also trained to be since we were little! And I should also mention that we were deemed ‘Honorary Takozonezu’ after we made it to the surface!” 

“S-s-seriously?” Dia stammered, her heart still pounding out of her chest. 

“Heck yeah we were!” Elise gloated for a second before taking up her serious tone. “And Anko used to live on the streets- so she knows how to handle herself! And Momo! She, um-” Elise glanced back at the pink Inkling, who hid behind Anko at the mention of her name. “She’s very nice! But you see what I’m getting at, right?”

“Y-y-yeah, I do!’ Dia replied quickly. “Can you um, let me go now though?” 

Elise scoffed and tightened her grip on Dia’s wrists and smirked. She gave her friend a sloppy kiss on the cheek before finally letting her go. Dia let out a massive sigh of relief as she put her hand on her chest to feel her galloping heartbeat. Adrenaline was running like wild throughout her veins, which is probably what she needed the most right now.

“Good cod, at least warn me next time!” She laughed awkwardly. Elise merely laughed devilishly in response. 

“Anyways, are you ready, Dia?” Frederick asked her softly. “It’s honestly now or never.”

Dia looked around at all of her friends and smiled. She studied each and every one of their expressions carefully before giving her answer. 

“Let’s go.”

Dia and her family emerged from around the corner and strutted into Inkopolis Square as if they owned the place. The baby blue Inkling did her best to ignore the strangely massive crowd that began to form around her and Aiden’s gang. With a graceful stride, she took a seat on one of the picnic tables outside and lounged lazily on top of it.

“Damn celebrities.” Aiden groaned. He crossed his legs neatly as he sat on a nearby table, with Flint, Joshua, and a handful of his friends from his various matches congregated around him. “Always showing up fashionably late.”

“My girlfriend called and said she wanted to hear my voice again to get her through the day.. What was I supposed to do, say ‘no’?” Dia jeered, sending the crowd into a frenzy. 

“Your girlfriend?” Aiden grumbled. “You mean my Glaucon! You stole her from me, you bitch!”

Dia shifted her weight and gave her arms a stretch. “How can I steal what doesn’t belong to you in the first place? Glaucon is her own Inkling.”

“You know what I mean! You’re a fucking whore. “ 

“That’s not the first time I’ve been called that.” Dia shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. “Anyways, is that all you wanted to do or what? Is there even a point to this?”

“Of course there is, you dumbass! “ Aiden spat back with a venom in his voice. “I’m here to call you out in front of all of your fans- you were sleeping with Glaucon the whole time she and I were dating!”

“Lady Quicksilver, more like Lady ‘Steal Yo Girl’!” Flint jeered, only to be met with a jab in the side from his boyfriend.

“But I didn’t though.” Dia replied.

“Yes, you did!” Aiden shouted. “Why else would she go straight to you after we got into that argument?”

“Because we knew each other beforehand. “ Dia retorted, still keeping her cool.

“Which is why I”m saying that you two were fucking the whole time!” 

“But we didn’t.”

“How can you lie like that in front of everyone like this?!” 

The crowd was nearing a fever pitch as they awaited Dia’s response.

“I was a virgin until only a few days ago.” 

Silence swept over the entirety of Inkopolis Square. Some of the bystanders nearly dropped their phones while they recorded the ruckus as soon as they processed Dia’s response. All of Dia’s crew turned beet red and all shared a look of mutual shock. 

“Y-y-y-y-you’re lying! You have to be!” Aiden stuttered, hardly managing to recover after that massive revelation.

“Ask my gynecologist- I told her yesterday.”

Another wave of dreadfully awkward silence washed over the Square before Kai, much to nobody’s surprise, broke it.

“How was it though?” Kai jeered. 

“I”m still sore, if we’re being honest.” Dia replied bluntly, trying her hardest to conceal a smirk. 

The two Inklings shot finger guns at each other, and Inkopolis Square erupted with a chorus of shouts and cheers once again. 

Dia stifled a grin, making her expression stoic before going on the attack again. “So anyways...are you like, done now??

“O-o-of course I’m not done!” Aiden spat back, his voice filled with even more venom than before. “Okay so maybe you weren’t sleeping with her, but that doesn’t change anything!”

The baby blue inkling merely nodded her head and crossed her arms, her whole demeanor totally calm- practically encouraging the other squid to speak his mind.

“I loved Glaucon more than I’ve ever loved anyone else in my whole life!” The mint Inkling continued, clenching his fist the whole time. “But you had to go and ruin all of that for me! If it wasn’t for you, her and I would still be together!” He took a deep breath as the reality of that statement hit him. He stood up and shoved his hands in his pants pockets, still locking eyes with the Inkling woman across from him. 

“I...I wanted to marry her. Have a bunch of kids and start a family together. With her, I was finally happy. All I needed was to be with her, and I could deal with all of life’s bullshit, you know? And now-”

“You felt like Glauc was your everything, right?” Dia interjected, her expression softening up ever so slightly.

“Yeah, exactly! But-”

“You needed her in your life, didn’t you?”

“Of course I did! Because without her, I-”

“You wouldn’t know what to do with yourself.” With that, Dia gracefully rose from her seat and took a few steps towards Aiden, unfolding her arms. “You’d be lost, confused…. but even worse than that, you’d be alone.”

Aiden gasped quietly as he realized what was going on. The woman that he spent so long hating, the woman that stole his- somehow knew exactly what he was feeling? This confrontation was already wild enough, but this was a plot twist he could’ve never seen coming. 

“Nothing’s worse than being alone.” Aiden said quietly, shifting his gaze away from her’s.

Dia placed a gentle hand on the boy’s shoulder, much to everyone’s shock, and gave him a soft smile. “Trust me Aiden, I know exactly how that feels. Because… you and I are similar, aren’t we?”

The crowd became a melange of hushed whispers and gasps while the two Inklings in the limelight shared a few moments of comfortable silence. This argument had quickly evolved into some sort of therapy session as Aiden finally let go of his aggression. 

“I guess so? I mean, how else would you be able to read my mind like that?” Aiden sighed, getting a giggle out of Dia. “But...what you said earlier was so spot on. Ever since Glauc and I broke up, I’ve been such a complete mess. I put everything I had into that relationship cuz I wanted to make her happy. No, more like I wanted her to…”

“Make you feel validated? Like you were loved and wanted?” Dia interrupted, raising an eyebrow curiously. Aiden replied with a nod, another little victory for her. 

“Y-yeah, yeah! That’s the right word.” Aiden admitted solemnly. “‘Cuz now that she’s gone, I’ve just been feeling like shit- even hating myself, you know?”

“Of course I know. Up until recently, I was feeling the exact same way.” Dia took a step back and nodded her head. “To be honest, I could’ve ended up like you- bitter and angry like this.”

“But you didn’t, obviously. You found love and it fixed you.”

“No. No, not exactly.” Dia shook her head, trying her best not to cry. This sudden outpouring of emotions was starting to get to her. “I realized that sometimes when it feels like everything’s against you, maybe it’s yourself that’s the problem. You can only blame other people for so long before you realize that it’s you who needs to change.”

In the crowd behind them, Frederick gazed at his best friend in awe as he took his boyfriend’s hand, whispering “that’s powerful” under his breath while still keeping his eyes locked on the conversation.

Aiden shook his head and sighed heavily. “You’re something else, honestly. “

“I’ve been told that before.” She giggled. “Oh, and Aiden?”

“Yeah?”

She took a few steps forward, her arms neatly folded across her chest. “I think I understand you a bit better now. You sound like you’ve….you’ve been hurt before. ”

“Again, spot on.”

“But, that doesn’t change the fact that what you did to Glaucon wasn’t okay. You and I both know what happened, so I won’t say anything now. “ She let out a weary sigh, finally at her limit with this conversation. “I don’t think I’ll ever really forgive you for hurting her, but I think we should start thinking about putting this all behind us. Let’s move on from this, okay?”

Just as Aiden was about to open his mouth to reply, a pair of well dressed Inklings practically sprinted into the plaza. But considering all of the previous developments, it seemed like the crowd was hardly phased by this at all. The shorter of the two immediately ran to Dia, standing between her and Aiden. The other Inkling, who was noticeably taller, joined Frederick and Zack among the crowd, ready to watch what was about to go down. 

“Glaucon?” Dia asked breathlessly, but she already knew it was her. 

The lavender Inkling, fresh out of work, ripped off her sunglasses and shot the mint Inkling a death glare, making him and all of the boys on his side visibly flinch. She propped the glasses on her head and grabbed Aiden by his shirt collar. 

“I don’t know what you’re up to, but if you even think about putting your hands on her, you’re  _ dead _ , asshole.” She spat him.

“Glaucon-” Aiden began to reply, only to be cut off once again.

“I don’t want to hear it!” She practically growled. “I let you ruin my dream of being a model, I let you rip me apart from my real friends, I let you ruin my face and walk all over me, but I’ll be damned if I’d let you do the same to Dia! I’m not scared of you, Aiden! I...I-”

“Princess,” Dia said softly, putting a gentle hand on her girlfriend’s shoulder, causing her to look back at her. “Tell him everything you need to say. And when you’re done, let’s move on from this okay?”

“Y-yeah. You’re right!” Glaucon nodded at her, and then turned her attention back to her ex. “Aiden?”

“Y-yeah sweetheart?” The mint Inkling stammered.

Glaucon let go of his shirt collar and took a few steps back. “Thank you for everything.”

“W-what?”

“Thank you for everything. You taught me how to use my Luna Blaster, how to get better at Ranked battling, for letting me into your team even though I prolly dragging you down-”

“What are you talking about? I thought-”

“Thank you for introducing me to your friends, especially Flint and Josh. I loved every minute I spent with you guys.” Glaucon continued, glancing over at the two boys in question. “Thanks to you, I feel like I was able to start putting my life here in Inkopolis together.”

“I um….I had fun doing all that for you, Glaucon. You don’t have to-”

“But Boss? There’s one thing that I really need to thank you for, more than anything else.” Glaucon latched on to her girlfriend’s arm, who gave her a reassuring look.

“Thank you for showing me your ugly side, so I could finally learn that I don’t need you anymore.” Glaucon’s breathing hitched with the last word, and grabbed Dia’s arm a little more tightly. Dia whispered “I’m proud of you” in her ear quickly, bringing a smile back to her face. 

The cheering of the crowd, especially on Dia’s side, became deafening with that final, decisive line. Hiro and Kai were lifting up the Octoling twins up in the arms and twirling them around. Frederick practically collapsed into Zack’s arms with relief, and Momo and Anko shared a tight embrace. 

The lavender Inkling took one last look at the three boys whom she’d spent the last eight years with before turning her back to them, leaving that chapter of her life behind. With her girlfriend beside her, she instead turned to face the gaggle of cephalopods cheering her on. No, they weren’t just cheering for her, they were cheering for them. For her and Dia’s love, for their happiness. For their love story that was only just starting. 

Glaucon took Dia’s hand and waved at all of her new friends, her real friends, and turned to leave all of this commotion behind. 

“C’mon you guys, let’s get outta here.”


	41. The Afterparty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let's face it, they all deserve a break after last chapter's nonsense!

“So his dad used to beat on him and his mother? Ya know, that honestly doesn’t surprise me.” Dia admitted, lifting her coffee cup to her lips. 

“Yeah, me neither.” Glaucon replied, also reaching for her cup. “But still! Just because you have a shitty childhood doesn’t mean you have an excuse to go around hurting people like that. I mean, look at us! Hell, look at all of us!” She used her free hand to gesture to the rest of their friend group, who were all lounging around Sage’s cafe together, enjoying their drinks and snacks. “Like, I’m pretty sure most of came from shitty backgrounds, but here we are, trying to get better and live normal lives!” She slammed her coffee cup down on the table, and looked out to her friends for solidarity. “Am I right, boys?”

“Damn right you are!” Frederick barked back, shoving a croissant in his mouth. “Zack and I are orphans, but look at us now!”

“Um, I’m not an orphan, but my mom died when I was little.” Kai admitted, laughing awkwardly. 

“That still counts.” Hiroko replied gently, raising her coffee mug to her. “ My mom abandoned me after my dad died.”

“Yikes.” Anko replied from the corner of the room. “And I thought growing up homeless was bad.” 

“Seriously?” Glaucon replied, not expecting that kind of answer from such a young girl. “But still, exactly my point! We don’t need those assholes anymore, we have each other now!” 

A chorus of giddy cheers echoed throughout the little cafe, putting a smile on every cephalopod’s face. 

“You know, Dia-dearie, you’ve made yourself some wonderful friends.” Sage chuckled as she came around the counter, a fresh pot of coffee ready to refill everyone’s cups. 

“I’m so lucky to have them.” Dia sighed contentedly, holding out her cup to Sage. “But honestly, they’re all more than friends. After today, we all feel like family, you know?”

Sage stopped pouring for a second before giving her granddaughter a warm smile. “That’s wonderful, darling. Because family is those who love you- even if you meet them a little later on in life. Don’t you agree, Glaucon?”

The lavender squid held out her cup as well, eager for another cup of the house blend. “Yeah, definitely! And by the way, thanks for letting us all hang out here tonight!”

Sage tilted her head and laughed. “Of course, why wouldn’t I say ‘yes’? After everything you guys have been through, you all deserve a little break.”

“Well, um,” Glaucon laughed awkwardly. “I didn’t really think this through! I originally suggested we all find a bar to chill in, but then I remembered that some of us aren’t old enough to drink- so Dia dragged us all here.”

“So here we are, drinking way too much coffee, at like, seven, almost eight o’clock at night.” Dia added, snickering a little bit.

“I’m enjoying all of it, but I hope you realize that none of us are gonna get any sleep! We’re all gonna be wired from all this caffeine!” Glaucon replied, rolling her eyes.

“I’m fine with that!” Dia put her cup down and put her elbows on the table, resting her chin in her palms while gazing at her partner. “Now that all of that drama’s over and done with, I feel like I finally have you to myself, you know?”

Glaucon almost choked on her coffee, her comment catching her off guard. “Cod, were you always this possessive? I kinda like it!” 

“Y-yeah, I just try not to show it. “ 

“Looks like we’ve still got a lot to learn about each other, I guess?”

“And we’ve got all the time in the world for it!” 


	42. The Dysfunctional Family Chat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Confession: this is what my group chat is called that I have with all of my irl friends! It was my suggestion, and I couldn't resist adding it in here as a lil' call back, lmaoo

Glauc&Roll _ renamed the chat to “The Dysfunctional Family” _

Glauc&Roll _ added  _ Dia_is_unbreakable to the chat

KingC0balt: fitting

Dia_is_unbreakable: omfgggg everybody’s here!

Dia_is_unbreakable: wait, what was it called before?

ZackAttack: oh you know

LemonBae: ayyyyy dia’s here!

KyuT: yay~!

Hatchin♥: hey dia~!

San_tana: hey

LadyAn: so many notifications, i hate thissssss

KawaiiPeachGirl: but it’s kinda fun tho!

ZackAttack: holy shit is Anko socializing???

KingC0balt: I’m so proud

LadyAn: zack don’t start this shit today i swear

LemonBae: it be fight night up in here

LemonBae: place yo bets

Glauc&Roll: the crackhead energy in here is so real and i love it

San_tana: Oh there you are

Glauc&Roll: yeah sorry, my gf has decided to spend the rest of the night talking my ears off

KyuT: about what, hmm~~?

Hatchin♥: oh?

Glauc&Roll: e v e r y t h i n g

KawaiiPeachGirl: everything and nothing at all? how romantic!!!

LadyAn: ???

Glauc&Roll: no deadass

Glauc&Roll: we were talking about dumb childhood memories a few seconds ago and now we’re looking at zodiac shit

KingC0balt: pfft

KingC0balt: you poor bastard, no sleep for you

Dia_is_unbreakable: omfg, glauc is a taurus, that makes perfect sense

Glauc&Roll: i call bs, lmaooo

San_tana: wow

San_tana: puns really aren’t your thing

LadyAn: agreed

Dia_is_unbreakable: but that was so good tho!! i’m literally wheezing over here

ZackAttack: oh boy

KingC0balt: anyyyyyyways

KingC0balt: we going to bed, good night all y’all

KyuT: gn!

Hatchin♥: good night you two! and thanks for everything!

LemonBae: for realllllll

San_tana: we appreciate it

San_tana: and gn

KawaiiPeachGirl: oh definitely! thanks to everyone really!

LadyAn: same

Glauc&Roll: omfg i shoulda said that earlier!!!! 

Glauc&Roll: thanks soooooo much everyone! I can’t believe it all had to go down like this, but i’m so thankful for all of you guys helping us out

KingC0balt: why wouldn’t we, dumbass?

Glauc&Roll: eh?

KingC0balt: i’ve heard nothing but good things about you for what like, a year straight cuz of how much you mean to her

KingC0balt: hell, I still remember when dia first told me about you, she was so damn hyyyped

KingC0balt: anyways

KingC0balt: your her gf now, and after seeing the hell you guys went through together, you prolly aren’t going anywhere anytime soon

KingC0balt: i wanna like, actually be friends with you 

Glauc&Roll: oh hell yeah! tbh, i was kinda sus of you at first cuz i was being overprotective but

Glauc&Roll: you’re pretty awesome! 

KingC0balt: aww

KingC0balt: thanks g, you are too

KingC0balt: thanks for making my sis happy

ZackAttack: pfft

ZackAttack: don’t mind him, he’s just tryin’ to secure his place as best man at your guys’ wedding

Glauc&Roll: what??

KyuT: WHAT

LemonBae: OH?

Hatchin♥: OMG WHAT

KawaiiPeachGirl: HOW CUTE

KawaiiPeachGirl: LEMME BE FLOWER GIRL

LadyAn: you’re too old for that

Dia_is_unbreakable: but fred, you already are tho? like, i don’t see us finding anyone better to be best mate, haha

ZackAttack: OH

ZackAttack: the plot thickens!

KingC0balt: yey

KingC0balt: ily dia

Dia_is_unbreakable: I love you more thoooo

KingC0balt: oh stop, imma get another cavity with how sweet you’re being

Dia_is_unbreakable: heh

Dia_is_unbreakable: also go to bed, y’all 

Glauc&Roll: goodnight you guyss!

Glauc&Roll: (but it’s not like I’m getting any sleep tonight tho)

Glauc&Roll: (hell I don’t think ever will with her around)

Dia_is_unbreakable: heh

Glauc&Roll: buuuuuuut it’s worth it


	43. Where it All Began

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After 170 pages on the doc and just about a full year in real time later- the happy ending that these two deserved. Thank you all for sticking with me on this wild ride, and I hope you had fun reading!

“Granny, I’m nervous as all hell right now.” Glaucon sighed, her voice dyed with an odd mix of anxious excitement- a feeling she’d thought she’d be used to by now.

“That’s understandable,” Sage shouted from behind the counter, hard at work on three orders at once. “Knowing Dia, she’s going all out for you today.”

“Yeah, exactly!” Glauc snickered and nodded a bit. “But anyways, can you believe that its been a whole ass year since I met her- right her your cute little shop?”

“My goodness, it only feels like yesterday when she was yelling at you at the top of her lungs.” Sage snorted, balancing a few pastries and coffee cups on her tray to begin serving them. “And today’s your birthday too, right?”

“Yup, 23 years strong.”

Sage rolled her eyes, set down the order to the right table, and went back behind the counter before reply. “This year will surely make up for it, but I can’t believe you got rejected so hard on your birthday last year.”

Glaucon grinned and took a sip of her drink. “Crazy, ain’t it? And now look at us! Hell, maybe one day I’ll be-”

“-She’s coming.” 

Sage spotted her granddaughter’s blue tentacles bouncing down the narrowing street, as she was practically skipping her way to the cafe. Glaucon instantly froze up and pulled out her phone camera to fix her own tentacles, and then looked to Sage for approval. She gave a quick thumbs-up, and the lavender squid breathed a sigh of relief. 

The bell on the cafe’s door rang as Dia came inside, her whole demeanor lighting up the room. With a small, wrapped present in her hands, she took a seat next to Glaucon at the counter. Her eyes shimmering with excitement, she put the present beside Glaucon and took her girlfriends’ hands in her own. Grateful for this lull of quiet in the cafe, she took a deep breath and told her what she’d been waiting to say all day.

“Hey beautiful, has anyone ever told you that you have the most mesmerizing eyes in all of Inkopolis?”


End file.
